South Carolina ‘Irish Traveler’ Community Indicted on Insurance Fraud Charges
August 19, 2016
A federal grand jury has indicted 22 people from a so-called Irish traveler community in western South Carolina for racketeering, alleging various violations ranging from food-stamp and tax fraud to money laundering and insurance fraud.
Acting South Carolina U.S. Attorney Beth Drake announced that the 48-count indictment alleging the operation of a criminal organization was returned on Tuesday.
The indictment says the defendants are residents of a community near North Augusta. It says travelers are itinerant laborers and salesmen who go door to door and speak a dialect of English and Gaelic called “Cant,” in addition to American English.
It said many of the defendants “reside in Murphy Village where they own large homes, luxury cars and expensive jewelry and clothes which are often acquired through fraud schemes or acquired with the proceeds of fraud schemes.”
The indictment says those charged are either travelers or their associates.
The government says the defendants committed fraud to obtain things such as life insurance benefits, food stamps, Medicaid funds and automobile financing.
It also alleges some of the defendants participated in money laundering to conceal the source or ownership of their assets. It alleges they structured bank deposits and withdrawals in amounts of $10,000 or less to avoid bank reporting requirements.
The specific counts include conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen items. Each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The indictment also includes counts of structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements, each of which carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The indictment says that, if the defendants are convicted, assets owned by the defendants are subject to forfeiture to the federal government.
The indictment lists five homes and 25 mostly high-end vehicles including BMWs, Lincolns, Audis and Lexus vehicles that the government says are subject to forfeiture.