Niles man charged in wire fraud scheme

CLEVELAND

A one-count information has been filed in federal court, charging a Niles man with wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney said.

Damian Hileman, 39, operated the interstate scheme between Jan. 1, 2009, and Jan. 12, 2010, through Internet web sites offering services to obtain new Social Security numbers, the U.S. Attorney said.

Hileman allegedly fraudulently represented that the services were legal, knowing that the manner in which the SSNs would be obtained was illegal.

Hileman also operated an Internet web site that advertised services to obtain large sums of money from existing non-profit corporations. The site fraudulently claimed that money could be obtained from these entities, donated to a new non-profit corporation set up by the client, and would never have to be repaid, the U.S. Attorney alleges.

Hileman solicited and received cash payments from people who responded to these Internet advertisements. On at least 14 occasions, the defendant failed to perform any services after obtaining cash from respondents to these ads, federal prosecutors say.

In this scheme, the defendant obtained about $37,500 in money and property, the prosecutors allege.

The case was investigated by the Youngstown FBI office.