Factual Proffer — U.S. v. Vladimir Saint-Hilaire (S.D. Fla.)

Summary

A factual proffer by the United States and defendant Vladimir Saint-Hilaire in Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS, United States v. Ductant et al, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, entered on the docket January 30, 2024 as Document 91. The parties agree that from at least October 2019 the defendant conspired with Patrick Ductant and others to commit bank fraud and wire fraud using stolen personal information, including of prison inmates, to obtain bank loans and PPP and EIDL loans. It describes the defendant receiving parcels, holding counterfeit driver licenses and cards, and depositing Western Union money orders, and cites a $150,000 EIDL loan. It states the conspirators caused an actual loss of $3,097,825, including $1,045,325 to USAA Bank and $2,052,500 to the SBA, supporting guilt on Count 1 and Count 23.

Summary drafted by a model from the text of the original file linked on this page and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

    Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS Document 91 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/30/2024 Page 1 of 6




                                  UNITED STATES D ISTRICT CO URT
                                  SOUTH ERN D ISTRICT O F FLOR IDA
                                    FOR T LA IJDER DALE DIV ISION

                                    CA SE NO .23-60019-CR-SIN GH AL

        U NITED STATES O F AM ERICA

,       VS.

        R ADIM IR SAIN T-H ILAIQ E,

                      Defendant.
                                                        /

                                           FACTUAL PR OFFER

               TheUnitedStatesofAmerica(theç'UnitedStates'')andDefendantVladimirSaint-ldilaire
        (çsDefendanf')agreethat,werethiscaseto proceedtotrial,theUnited Stateswould provebeyond
        a reasonable doubtthe follow ing facts,among others,which occurred in the Southern D istrictof

        Florida and elsew here:

               1.     From at least October 2019, and continuing through M ay 202l, Defendant

        conspiredandagreed with KervensSaint-ldilaireCçKervens''),Patrick DuctantCçDuctanf'),and
        others,to com m itbank fraud and wire fraud. The purpose ofthe conspiracy w as for Defendant

        and hisco-conspiratorsto pnlawfully enrich them selvesby devising and executing-a scheme and

        artifice to defraud financialinstitutionsand the U.S.SmallBusinessAdministratioh ($1SBA'').
        Defendantknew theunlawfulpurposeoftheplanandwillfullyjoinedinit.
               2.     Thebank fraud objectoftheconspiracy involved,among otherthings,Defendant
        and his co-conspirators unlaw fully using the means of identification of other pqrsons, and

        otherwise m aking m aterially falseand fraudulentrepresentations,to obtain money,funds,credits,

        and assetsunderthecustody and controloftinancialinstitutionsw hose accountsw ere insured by

        the FederalDeposit Insurance Corporation,including,butnotIim ited to,USAA FederalSavings
Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS Document 91 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/30/2024 Page 2 of 6




    Bank(hereinaûer,ûIUSAA Bank''),Citibank,N.A.(hereinafter,Sçcitibank''),andTD BankUSA,
   N.A..(hereinafter,ICTD Bank'').Thewirefraudobjectoftheconspiracy involved,among other
   things,Defendant and hisco-conspirators unlaw fully using the means of identification of other

   persons,and otherw ise m aking m aterially false and fraudulent representations,to obtain loans

   throughthe SBA'SPaycheck Protection Program (çûPPP'')and Economic Injury DisasterLoan
   (çCEIDL'')program. The PPP and EIDL program weredesigned to provide emergency financial
   assistanceto the m illions ofA mericanswho were suffering from the econom ic effects caused by

   the COVlD-19 pandem ic.

          3.     To carry out the conspiracy and accomplish its purpose,Defendant and his co-

   conspirators unlawfully acquired personally identifiable information CçPII'')s including social
   security numbers, dates of birth,and driver license numbers,of other persons (hereinafter,
   ûtldentity TheftVictims''). Some ofthe Identity Theû Victims were inmates then confined in
   federaland state prisons who played no role in the conspiracy and did notknow thatDefendant

   and hisco-conspiratorhad acquiredtheirèII. Co-defendantTerriShanaDavis,who during the
   conspiracy had accessto PIIthrough herem ploym entata company in Atlanta,Georgia,w asone

   source of PII whom Defendant's co-conspirators paid for such PIl. In exchange for paym ent,

   Davis provided the requested PII to Co-conspirator 1,w ho in turn provided the PIIthat was

   possessed and used by Defendantand hisco-conspirators.

          4.     In furtherance ofthe conspiracy,Defendantand his co-conspirators used Identity

   Theft Victim s' PlI, including counterfeit driver Iicenses obtained by Defendant and his co-

   conspirators bearing Identity TheftV ictim s'PIIw ith otherpersons'photographs,to accomplish

   the following: (a) apply forand obtain fraudulentloans from tinancialinstitutions,including

                                            Page 2 of6
Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS Document 91 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/30/2024 Page 3 of 6




    personalIoansfrom USAA BankissuedinthenamesofIdentityTheftVictims;(b)applyforand
    obtain fraudulentloansfrom the SBA,including loansthrough the PPP and EIDL program sissued

    inthenamesofIdentityTheû Victims;(c)openfraudulentbankaccountsatfinancialinstitutions
    in the nam es of Identity TheftVictim s and conductfraudulentfinancialtransactions within such

   accounts,includingdepositingandwithdrawingtheproceedsoffraudulentIoans;(d)fraudulently
   obtain and use creditcardsand debitcardsissued by financialinstitutions in the nam esofIdentity

   TheftVictim s,including the purchase ofm oney orders m ade p'ayable to Defendantand his co-

    conspirators;and (e) otherwise divertfraud proceeds obtained in the namesof Identity Theft
    Victim s forthe use and benefitofDefendant,his co-conspirators,and others,including,butnot

    lim ited to,purchasesofand/orpaymentstow ard hom es,home im provem ents,Iuxury vehicles,and

   jewelry,andotherexpenses.
                  Defendant's particularrole in the conspiracy included,among otherthings:

                  a.     facilitating the receiptoffraud proceeds,unauthorized accessdevices,and

          other item s unlaw fully obtained using PII of Identity Theft V ictim s, which included

          tracking and receiving parcelscontaining such item s addressed to Identity TheftV ictim s

          ataddressesassociated with co-conspirators;
                  b.     possessing unauthorized access de'
                                                          vices that w ere obtained and used in

           furtherance ofthe conspiracy,w hich included Identity TheftV ictim s'counterfeitdriver

           licenses,debitand creditcards issued in Identity TheftVictim s'nam es,and blank checks

           for bank accounts fraudulently opened in Identity TheftV ictim s' nam es,among other

          things;and




                                             Page 3 of6
Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS Document 91 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/30/2024 Page 4 of 6




                 c.     diverting fraud proceedsto him selfby depositing into hisTD Bank account

          W estern Union M oney Ordersthatw ere purchased with debitand creditcardsissued in the

          nam esofIdentity TheftV ictim s.

          6.     Specific instances ofthe w ay in which Defendant participated in the conspiracy

   included,butwere notlim ited to,the follow ing:

                 a.     $$S.W .''was an ldentity Theft Victim who,at all relevanttim es, was an

          inmate in the custody ofthe FederalBureau ofPrisons. During the conspiracy,.Defendant

          and hisco-conspiratorsunlaw fully acquired énd used S.W .'SPIIw ithoutS.W .'Sknowledge

          or authority to,am ong otherthings:open bank accounts in S.W .'S nam e atUSAA Bank,

          Citibank,TD Bank,andotherbanks;obtain a$50,000personalIoan inS.W .'Snamefrom
          U SAA Bank;obtain creditand debitcards in S.W .'Snam e;and use creditand debitcards

          in S.W .'Snam e to purchase W estern Union M oney Orders. On oraboutApril27,2020,

          Defendanttracked and picked up a FedEx package addressed to S.W .atan addressin Fort

          Lauderdale, Florida. On February 4, 2021, during and in relation to the conspiracy,

          Defendantpossessed in hisbedroom and bedroom closet,am ong otherthings:acounterfeit
          Iilorida driver license bearing S.W .'S name and date of birth w ith another person's

          photograph;account docum ents for bank accounts in S.W .'S nam e at USA A bank,TD

          Bank,and otherbanks'
                             ,blank checksforaTD Bank accountin S.W .'Snam e;U SAA credit

          cardsstatementsforanaccountin S.W .'Sname; 38W estern UnionM oney Orders,many
          ofw hichw ere purchased w ith a'TlM obileM asterCard ending 7715 in S.W .'Snam e,w hich

          wasalso Defendant's bedroom .

                 b.      ç:M .W .''was an Identity Theû V ictim who,ataIlrelevanttim es,was gn


                                             Page4 of6
Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS Document 91 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/30/2024 Page 5 of 6




         '
         inm ate in thecustody oftheFlorida Departm entofCorrections. During and in furtherance

         oftheconspiracy,Defendantand hisco-conspiratorsunlawfully acquired and used M .W .'S

         PlIw ithoutM .W .'Sknow ledgeorauthority to,am ong otherthings:open checking accounts

         atUSAA Bank in M .W .'Snameending in $2861(theCEUSAA 2861Account'')and 16369
         (theCGUSAA 6369Accounf),andacquireUSAA VisadebitcardsinM.W .'Snameending
         in15053(theCCUSAA 5053Visa'')and:5737(theIEUSAA 5734 Visa).TheUSAA 5053
         V isa waslinkbd to the USAA 2861 Accountand the U SA A 5734 Visa was linked to the

         U SAA 6369 Account. On August 30, 2020,the USAA 2861 Account received via

         Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer,which caused the transmission of a wire
         communication in interstatecommerce,theproceedsofa$150,000 EDIL program loan
         thatDefendantand hisco-conspiratorshad fraudulently applied forusing the PIIofanother

         ldentity TheftVictim,::W .S.''(hereinaûer,the .IW .S.EIDL''). Defendantand his co-
         conspirators transferred and withdrew the proceeds ofthe W .S.EID L by,am ong other

         methodk,usingtheUSAA 5053VisaandtheUSAA 5734Visato purchaseW estern Union
         M oney O rders,m any ofwhich w ere deposited into Defendant'sbank accountat,TD Bank

         ending in 4528. On February 4,2021,during and in relation to the conspiracy,Defendant

         had possession in his bedroom closetthe USA A 5053 Visa and the USAA 5734 V isa.

         Defendantalso had in his possession accountdocum entsforthe U SA A 2861 Accöuntin

         M .W .'Snam e.

                A s a resultofDefendant's participation in the conspiracy,Defendantand his co-

   conspiratorsareresponsibleforcausingan actuallossof$3,097,825,ofwhich $1,045,325 in loss
   wasincurredbyUSAA Bankand $2,052,500in IosswasincurredbytheSBA.Defendantandhis


                                          Page 5 of6
Case 0:23-cr-60119-AHS Document 91 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/30/2024 Page 6 of 6




    co-conspirators used the fraudulently obtained proceeds to enrich them selvesand othersthrough

    approximately M ay2021.
             8.   The United States and Defendantagree thatthese facts,which do not include al1

    factsknown to the United Statesand Defendant,aresufticientto prove beyond a reasonabledoubt

    the elem entsofconspiracy to comm itbank fraud and w ire fraud,in violation ofTitle l8,United

    StatesCode,Section 1349,and aggravated identity theft,in violation ofTitle 18,Unised States

    Code,Section 1028A(a)(1),andthatDefendantisin factguiltyofthoseoffensesascharged in
    Count1and Count23,respectively,ofthe lndictment.

                                               M A RKEN ZY LA POINTE
                                               UN ITED STATES ATTO RN EY
                                                                             g*



    Ilate:              .              By:
                                               DAV    .S IDER
                                               AS ISTAN T UN ITED STATES ATTO RN EY


  .(late: f/xh/-
               2-G.
                                               J NY W ILSON
                                                SSISTANT FEDERA L PUBLIC DEFEN DER
                                               ATTORN EY FOR D EFEN DANT


    (late: t2-).:
                $1A 6-
                                                LADIM IR SA INT-HILA IRE
                                               DEFEN DANT




                                             Page6 of6


File and source

File

91-factual-proffer-statement-as-to-vladimir-saint-hilaire.pdf

Size

269,434 bytes

SHA-256

17040df561e49a1bd1ed03a724c1fd10a248bbc075853a4d690c08723ed676d3

Our copy

91-factual-proffer-statement-as-to-vladimir-saint-hilaire.pdf

Original

PACER (login required)