Arrest of Lawrence S. Hartman in Nicaragua
- A high-profile American financier, Lawrence S. Hartman, was expelled and deported from Nicaragua this week.
- Hartman, also known as Lawrence Hartman, Larry Hart, and Lawrence Scott Hartman-Grosser, is a 47-year-old Costa Rica resident and a former lawyer.
- He was wanted by U.S. authorities for alleged involvement in an international investment fraud and money laundering scheme.
Charges Against Lawrence Hartman
- Hartman faces charges of conspiracy to commit and substantive acts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
- These charges carry a combined maximum penalty of up to 80 years in federal prison.
- Hartman was charged in a Superseding Indictment in March 2009 and was expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Miami on May 16, 2013.
Collaborative Effort to Apprehend Hartman
- The successful apprehension of Hartman was a result of the collaborative efforts of various law enforcement agencies.
- The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Embassy Managua, INTERPOL Washington, and the Nicaraguan National Police all played a role in his arrest.
Co-Conspirators Convicted and Sentenced
- Paul R. Gunter and Simon Andrew Odoni
- British citizens convicted on April 19, 2013, of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
- They also faced numerous individual counts of mail, wire fraud, and money laundering.
- The pair is scheduled for sentencing on July 23, 2013, and could face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each conspiracy charge and each separate mail, wire fraud charge.
- Richard Sinclair Pope
- A co-defendant who pleaded guilty in March 2011 to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.
- He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
- Roger Lee Shoss and Nicolette Loisel
- Houston lawyers found guilty in May 2012 on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to the corporate identity theft aspect of the scheme.
Cooperating Agencies and Cooperating International Authorities
- The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Tampa, Florida, and the U.S. Secret Service’s Tampa, Florida, and Newark, New Jersey, Field Offices.
- Several international authorities were also involved, including the City of London Police, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office and Norfolk Constabulary, the Spanish National Police, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission, and the British Columbia Securities Commission.
- An indictment represents a formal charge against an individual, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and Kelley Howard-Allen.