An Elizabeth man today admitted operating a scheme to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in commercial and residential merchandise from various companies, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Officials said Roy Depack, a/k/a “Ray Depack,” a/k/a “Roy Soriano,” a/k/a “John Soriano,” 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in 2014, Depack and others conspired to fraudulently obtain merchandise – including Apple computers, digital scales, a walk-in freezer, a snow blower, a gas backpack blower, Samsung televisions, and Milwaukie tools kits – from at least six different victim companies.
In total, Depack fraudulently obtained and attempted to obtain over $900,000 in merchandise.
As part of the scheme, Depack called the victim companies and falsely claimed to be a representative of companies that had preexisting business relationships, lines of credit, or accounts with the victim companies. Officials said Depack would then direct the victim companies to ship the products to various addresses in New York, Newark, Elizabeth, and Union, New Jersey, while the victims billed the companies that Depack was pretending to represent. Depack and others sold the goods to pawn stores and other individuals.
According to authorities, on April 10, 2017, Depack, using the name "Mike Clarke" and falsely claiming to be a representative of a food distribution company, ordered one digital scale, valued at approximately $3,614, from a victim identified in the information as “Company Six” and directed that it be delivered to Elizabeth. After the scale was delivered on April 11, 2017, Depack and another individual sold it at a pawn store in Newark for approximately $700.
The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2018.