Four Individuals Sentenced in Sophisticated, Wide-Spread Fraud Schemes — District of Rhode Island (March 20, 2025)

Summary

Press release of the District of Rhode Island, dated March 20, 2025, announcing that four individuals were sentenced for a scheme that defrauded CARES Act and other programs of more than $4.8 million. Judge Mellisa R. DuBose sentenced Tony Mertile, identified as the leader, to 72 months, Junior Mertile to 54 months, and Allen Bien-Aime and James Legerme to 48 months each, each followed by three years of supervised release. The government moved to forfeit a total of $4,857,191, and each defendant is jointly and severally liable for $4,456,927.36 in restitution. Each defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

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“Four Individuals Sentenced in Sophisticated, Wide-Spread Fraud Schemes — District of Rhode Island (March 20, 2025).” Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-03-26-four-individuals-sentenced-in-sophisticated-wide-spread-fra-2266f2d706/, SHA-256 62fea369bbf2d4411709e23b5d9f392f3975a024dd75b527b63919e6d0fb276b.

Full text

PRESS RELEASE


Four Individuals Sentenced in
Sophisticated, Wide-Spread Fraud
Schemes
Thursday, March 20, 2025

For Immediate Release
District of Rhode Island

The defendants defrauded CARES Act and other programs out of more than $4.8
million

PROVIDENCE – Four Florida residents convicted in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island for
executing one of the largest schemes in the country to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief
and Economic Security (CARES) Act programs, including in Rhode Island, have been
sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron
Bloom.

Court documents illustrate that the defendants defrauded various federally funded
programs of more than $4.8 million.

Each of the defendants pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud
and aggravated identity theft. The schemes involved obtaining and using stolen
personal identifying information to submit fraudulent applications to multiple state
unemployment agencies, including the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training,
and to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection
Program (PPP) loan applications, for pandemic-related benefits made available under
the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First
Coronavirus Response Act.

Additionally, the defendants submitted fraudulent applications in the names of other
persons to federal and state agencies to obtain tax refunds, stimulus payments, and
disaster relief funds and loans.

The scheme also involved using the stolen personal identifying information to open
bank accounts that were used to receive, deposit, and transfer fraudulently obtained
government benefits and payments and to obtain debit cards for the fraudulently
opened bank that were used to withdraw the fraudulently obtained funds.

U.S. District Court Judge Mellisa R. DuBose sentenced

   •   Tony Mertile 33, of Miramar, FL, identified in court documents as the leader of
       the conspiracy, to a term of 72 months of incarceration to be followed by three
       years of supervised release;
   •   Junior Mertile, 35,of Pembroke Pines, FL, to a term of 54 months of incarceration
       to be followed by three years of supervised release.
   •   Allen Bien-Aime, 33, of Lehigh Acres, FL, to a term of imprisonment of 48 months
       to be followed by three years of supervised release;
   •   James Legerme, 33, of Sunrise, FL, to a term of imprisonment of 48 months of
       incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release; and

In accordance with signed plea agreements filed with the court, the government moved
to forfeit a total of $4,857,191 in funds, or $1,214,294.75 from each defendant, that
constitutes proceeds of the conspiracy. The defendants have also forfeited hundreds of
thousands of dollars’ worth of Rolex watches and assorted jewelry, and over $1.1 million
dollar in cash seized from the residences of Tony Mertile, Junior Mertile, and James
Legerme at the time of their arrests. Each defendant is also jointly and several liable for
$4,456,927.36 in restitution to be paid to agencies and financial intuitions that were
defrauded.

The case was jointly prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise
M. Barton and Stacey A. Erickson and Special Assistant United States Attorney and
Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, Chief of the Rhode Island
Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Rhode Island
Department of the Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of
Labor – Office of Inspector General, Rhode Island State Police, and the Internal Revenue
Service - Criminal Investigations, with substantial assistance from the United States
Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and United States Social Security
Administration, Office of Inspector General/Office of Investigations.

Acting United States Attorney Bloom, FBI Boston Division Special Agent in Charge Jodi
Cohen, and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office
of Inspector General thank the Miami Division of the FBI, the Fort Myers Resident
Agency of the FBI Tampa Division, the FBI’s Complex Financial Crimes Unit, and the U.S.
Marshal Service in Florida for their assistance at the time the defendants were arrested
and detained in Florida.

Acting United States Attorney Bloom also extends her gratitude to prosecutors in the
Middle District of Florida and the Southern District of Florida for their assistance.

Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to
fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits from the RIDLT are urged to contact the
Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at
(401) 272-8310.

                                           ###

government_sentencing_memos.pdf
Contact
Jim Martin

(401) 709-5357

Updated March 20, 2025

Topics
CORONAVIRUS

FINANCIAL FRAUD


Components
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
USAO - Rhode Island
Press Release Number: 25-42

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SHA-256: 62fea369bbf2d4411709e23b5d9f392f3975a024dd75b527b63919e6d0fb276b
Our copy: 2025-03-26-Four-Individuals-Sentenced-in-Sophisticated-Wide-Spread-Fraud-Schemes-USAO-D-RI-03-20-2025.pdf
Original: www.oig.dol.gov