LI Woman Pleads Guilty To Elder Fraud Scheme: Feds

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A Southampton woman pleaded guilty Monday to an elder fraud scheme, federal officials said.

Mara Ficarra, 57, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud in federal court in Central Islip before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

When sentenced, Ficarra faces up to five years in prison, as well as forfeiture and restitution of more than $1.5 million, federal officials said.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and
Daniel B. Brubaker, inspector-in-charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York
Division, announced the guilty plea, officials said.

“Ficarra enriched herself by preying upon vulnerable elderly members of our community in an elaborate solicitation to immortalize the victims’ through inclusion of their biographies in reference publications she controlled, when in fact it was a scheme designed to steal their hard-earned savings. With today’s guilty plea, Ficarra has ensured that her own legacy is that of a convicted fraudster,” Peace said.

According to court filings, Ficarra and a co-conspirator owned, operated and held senior management positions in various companies, including Remington Biographies, Inc.,Remington Bookkeepers, Inc., and Mentorship America1, Inc. — collectively, the “Remington2Entities”, officials said.

The Remington Entities purported to publish reference publications containing biographical information about individuals across the country, federal officials said.

Those publications included“Inspiring the Youth of America” and “The Remington Registry of Outstanding Professionals," feds said.

From 2013 to December, 2018, Ficarra had letters and pamphlets mailed to individuals, primarily the elderly, indicating that the person’s biography would be published in one of the reference publications, federal officials said.

The letters, addressed “Dear Nominee,” said: “Your 2 books and your plaque are paid for in full and ready for delivery. Please send a check for $14 dollars for shipping and handling," federal officials said.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the pamphlet described the publication and stated, in part:“The Remington Registry of Outstanding Professionals is more than a who’s who. It is the ultimate expression of achievements, hardships, and dedication that professionals have made in their lives and careers…. Sit back and be read for a wonderful experience.”

The mailings led hundreds of people to send checks as payment for inclusion in the reference books, federal officials said.

Ficarra then used the routing and bank account information on those checks to produce fraudulent checks for larger dollar amounts, which she then deposited into bank accounts she and a co-conspirator controlled at Citibank, Everbank, HSBC, JP Morgan Chaseand Wells Fargo, among other financial institutions, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Ficarra then promptly withdrew cash from the accounts, stealing more than $1.5 million dollars from the subscribers and financial institutions, federal officials said.

Peace thanked the Southampton Town Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.

“Mara Ficarra took advantage of the elderly, leading them to believe their legacies
would be preserved in The Remington Registry of Outstanding Professionals. What she did
instead was prey on innocent victims and continue to drain their bank accounts of over $1.5
million. Postal Inspectors will tirelessly pursue anyone who targets the elderly for fraud," USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Brubaker said.

Kevin Keating, attorney for Ficarra, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.