A federal grand jury has indicted Dylan Paul Costanza, Tommy Lee Coburn, Kyle Paul Edward Gibson, and Heather Dierna for orchestrating a sophisticated mail fraud scheme, defrauding thousands of companies across the United States out of approximately $3.72 million. The indictment, announced by U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, charges the individuals with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, with additional charges for some defendants including mail fraud and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, carrying a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The scheme, which operated between October 2020 and January 2022, involved sending fraudulent invoices for cleaner/degreaser products to large companies, exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on accounts payable departments. The invoices, emanating from sham companies including Hi-Tech Industrial and Nationwide Chemical, were designed to appear legitimate, with disclaimers about their solicitation nature subtly hidden to evade suspicion.
The fraudulent operation victimized approximately 4,640 companies, compelling them to pay for nonexistent or grossly overpriced products, resulting in significant financial loss. The investigation that led to the indictment was a collaborative effort by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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