A Newnan man will be sentenced in September after pleading guilty in federal court to wire fraud and money laundering in an Internet scheme involving the supply of chemicals used in farming and other industries.
U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said Randolph Wayne Hill, 71, in March and April 2008 falsely advertised on the Internet through his company, Hill Resources, LLC, that he was able to deliver multiple tons of various chemicals to customers throughout the world.
“On or about March 15, 2008, Hill misrepresented that he was ready to ship over 120 tons of a fertilizer chemical from the United States to a collective of farmers in Suriname, even though he had no such supplier of the chemical in the United States. In reliance on Hill’s promise, the individual acting on behalf of the farmers paid Hill over $60,000,” Yates said.
On or about April 15, 2008, Hill misrepresented that he would supply a company operating in Cartersville with over 160 tons of a chemical used in fireproofing fabrics, even though he had no such supplier of the chemical. In reliance on Hill’s promise, the company in Cartersville paid Hill almost $200,000, said Yates.
Yates said Hill never delivered any product to either business, nor returned the money. Hill repaid another customer with $25,000 of the money from the company in Cartersville. Hill kept the rest of the money for his personal use, Yates said.
“This defendant used the Internet to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from small businesses both here in Georgia and abroad,” said Yates. “As today’s conviction demonstrates, it is a priority of this office to detect and aggressively prosecute fraudsters who use the Internet to target victims in our district and elsewhere.”
Hill could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 4.
