Trial News

Investigator Sentenced To 27 Months For Wire Fraud Scheme Against High Profile Litigants

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL LAIR, President of consumerdefense.com, Inc., received a sentence of 27 months in federal prison for participating in a scheme that sought to defraud parties to high profile lawsuits by claiming to have proof of illegal activity by opposing counsel and opposing parties. LAIR pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to the offense on February 20, 2007. In addition to the 27-month prison term, United States District Judge JOHN F. KEENAN also ordered LAIR to pay restitution in the amount of $307,103.50. According to the Information to which LAIR pleaded guilty, statements made during his guilty plea, and other documents filed in the case:

LAIR’s scheme lasted from about February 2003 through 2006. LAIR approached lawyers or parties involved in numerous highly publicized civil cases and attempted to defraud them by claiming to have proof of illegal or fraudulent conduct by another party in the litigation. LAIR’s organization, consumerdefense.com, Inc., purported to investigate consumer complaints and conduct research in connection with large fraud cases. LAIR requested payment of funds prior to turning over the purported evidence of wrongdoing to the parties or their lawyers. In exchange for cash payments, LAIR promised to provide information of illegal activity relevant to the litigation. Over time, as LAIR failed to deliver on his promises, the parties targeted by LAIR ended their relationships with him. These lawyers and their clients were defrauded out of over $300,000 by LAIR. Read more at newyork.fbi.gov.

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