43
N.Y. man indicted in scam of $124,000 from area businessman
CLEVELAND
A Staten Island, N.Y., man accused of scamming a 69-year-old Mahoning Valley business owner out of more than $124,000, and even driving away in the man’s Ford Mustang after persuading him to turn over the title, is now federally indicted along with other alleged conspirators.
New York residents Haki Toplica, 24; Luisa R. Goris, 22; Kathryn L. De La Torre, 24; Haider Islam, 21; and Robert Russo, 27, were indicted Wednesday in the U.S. Northern District of Ohio court on nine counts including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property, according to federal court records.
Toplica remains in the Mahoning County jail. The case is set for arraignment April 3 at the federal courthouse in Cleveland.
The indictment states Toplica told the business owner he was a broker who could help him secure loans he needed to pay off creditors – but Toplica first needed cash up front for loan fees. From June to September, Toplica convinced the man to pony up at least $124,000 across several in-person cash deliveries and wire transfers. Those wired payments ended up in bank accounts belonging to Goris and De La Torre, the indictment states.
Over the course of the scam, the loan amounts Toplica promised increased – first $475,000, then $3 million, then $10 million, then $20 million – and so did the “upfront costs.” Each time, Toplica claimed the loans fell through after receiving the fees.
“Toplica caused the victim to deliver approximately $50,000 in cash to another [unidentified] person at a specific home-improvement parking lot in Johnstown, Pa.,” – but Toplica later told the business owner that middleman never delivered the money, the indictment states.
At Toplica’s request, the business owner delivered an additional $30,000 between two separate meetings at a restaurant parking lot in Pennsylvania and $50,000 more in cash at a Pennsylvania church parking lot the following month, the indictment states.
In August, Toplica convinced the man to turn over the titles for 55 vehicles including “a Ford Mustang, several dump trucks, several tractors, several restored classic vehicles, a Freightliner motor home and trailers” as collateral for a $10 million loan.
Goris prepared the vehicle titles for transfer and “concocted fictitious invoices,” according to the indictment. Toplica later had the vehicles transferred to Islam’s name. Russo is also accused of driving one of the vehicles back to New York.
In September, the day Toplica was set to meet the victim in Ohio and deliver the $10 million, he claimed he was waylaid by a “dirty cop” who stole the money and threatened him. The victim declined to give Toplica $1 million for another $10 million loan and later contacted police about the missing loans, according to a previous criminal affidavit filed in federal court.
Springfield Township police recorded a conversation between Toplica and the victim about a phony $20 million loan. Toplica reportedly demanded $300,000 to return the victim’s vehicle titles, according to the affidavit.
Toplica was lured back to the area with the promise of payment and was arrested Sept. 26.
The indictment seeks forfeiture of $172,289 from the defendants as well as $27,070 in cash seized by a Pennsylvania state trooper who arrested Toplica on Aug. 11.