Interesting media release this afternoon from the U.S. Attorney's Office, about how 55-year-old Dallas-based FBI "support employee" Deborah Lee Stinson and her 27-year-old son Mark have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The entire narrative, as usual, is after the jump, but the feds allege that from January 2007 through January '08, the twosome kept lying about income and employment to local car dealers -- Park Place Motorcars and Al Lamb's Dallas Honda -- in order to buy luxury cars and SUVs and even a motorcycle, one after the other after the other, including a Hummer, a Cadillac Escalade and a Mercedes E350. Seems a lot of hard work and big risk for a bunch of gas-guzzlers. The Stinsons are due in federal court at 3 p.m. today -- wonder if they'll take a more economical ride. Speaking of Stinsons and takin' a ride, right now there about four Replacements fans who are thinking the exact same thing. --Robert Wilonsky
FBI SUPPORT EMPLOYEE AND SON CHARGED IN FEDERAL INDICTMENT
DALLAS - A support employee with the FBI in Dallas, Deborah Lee Stinson, 55, and her son, Mark Alan Stinson, 27, both Dallas residents, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Both defendants surrendered this morning to federal officials and will make their initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney at 3:00 p.m.
The indictment alleges that beginning in January 2007and continuing through January 2008, Deborah and Mark Stinson placed large amounts of cash in safe deposit boxes, prepared and submitted false and fraudulent loan applications to secure vehicle loans for high-end luxury or recreational vehicles; disguised the source and ownership of the down payment monies for these vehicles; and caused the businesses to file coin and currency receipts, commonly referred to as IRS Forms 8300, containing material omissions or misstatements of fact.
According to the indictment, on various dates in 2007, and in various amounts, Mark Stinson gave thousands of dollars to his mother, Deborah, which they placed in either her safe deposit box, or a safe deposit box they shared. Mark Stinson also placed thousands of dollars of cash into his safe deposit box.
Deborah and Mark Stinson went to Park Place Motorcars in March 2007 and selected a 2007 Mercedes E350, agreeing to a $74,683.87 purchase price. Deborah Stinson signed a loan application listing her employment with the FBI and showing her correct annual salary. She also listed an additional false employment and fictitious additional monthly income of $2000. Mark Stinson gave the cashier $21,000 in cash and drove the Mercedes away from the dealership; he had told one of the dealership's employees the car was for his mother. They caused Park Place Motorcars to file an IRS Form 8300 incorrectly showing that Deborah Stinson was the source of the $21,000 down payment.
On April 7, 2007, Mark Stinson made two cash payments totaling $9500 to Massey Cadillac in Dallas to be used toward the purchase of a 2007 Cadillac Escalade for a purchase price of $89,044.82. A few days later, a 2006 Hummer owned by Deborah Stinson and another individual was traded for the 2007 Cadillac Escalade. They applied for a $73,113 vehicle loan through GMAC with Deborah Stinson once again listing her employment with the FBI. This time she did not list another fictitious employment as she had done three weeks earlier at Park Place Motorcars. The "co-owner" of the Cadillac Escalade falsely inflated her annual income and signed the loan application along with Deborah Stinson. However, after GMAC denied the loan request, the Stinsons, or this other individual, paid an additional cash down payment of $10,500 and the loan was approved. The defendants and the other individual caused Massey Cadillac to file an IRS Form 8300 incorrectly, not showing that the financial transaction was for Mark Stinson's benefit.
In July 2007, Mark Stinson returned to Park Place Motorcars to upgrade the 2007 Mercedes E350 that he had purchased 15 weeks earlier to a 2007 Mercedes S550, and agreed to purchase the only one that was available on the lot. His mother arrived at the dealership to complete the paperwork and once again included her bogus employment and additional $2000 per month income. While she was signing the paperwork, Mark Stinson went to a safe deposit box and retrieved $35,000 cash for the down payment. The dealership became suspicious that this was a "straw" purchase so Deborah Stinson signed a document stating that the vehicle was going to be hers and garaged at her house. Once again, Deborah and Mark Stinson caused Park Place Motorcars to file an IRS Form 8300 falsely stating that the $35,000 down payment was received from Deborah Stinson.
In November 2007, while negotiating to buy a motorcycle at Al Lamb's Honda in Dallas, Mark Stinson asked if there was a way to break up the cash transaction so that it would not show over $10,000. He also stated that he didn't want it titled in his name and said that his mother worked for the FBI. Deborah Stinson went to the dealership to complete the paperwork, but the salesman, doubting that she worked for the FBI, asked to see her credentials. At that time, Deborah Stinson showed her official FBI credentials and drivers license to the salesman at the dealership.
An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, Deborah Lee Stinson and Mark Alan Stinson each face a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
