An 80-year-old man from California was charged for stealing more than $250,000 with fake donation sites for political candidates, prosecutors said.
In a years-long scheme, John Pierre Dupont pretended to raise money for Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke, and other Democratic politicians, according to the Department of Justice. Dupont did not donate the money to campaigns, but used it to pay for rent, car insurance, and a Mercedes Benz, prosecutors say. Dupont has been convicted before for bank fraud and money laundering, and spent years in prison. If convicted, he could receive as many as 22 more years behind bars.
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOHN PIERRE DUPONT, a/k/a “John Gary Rinaldo,” was arrested this morning and charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his role in a years-long, nationwide scheme to defraud thousands of donors who believed they were donating to political action committees and political campaigns. The defendant is expected to be presented this afternoon in the District Court of Arizona.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, John Pierre Dupont operated multiple fake political action committees and falsely claimed to be raising money to support more than a dozen campaigns. Thousands of donors believed their hard-earned money was being used to support the causes described in solicitations, but in reality, the scam PACs had no operations beyond the fundraising itself, and no funds were used to support candidates. My Office will continue to ensure that fraudulent fundraising does not pay – indeed, will result in criminal prosecution – by rooting out scam PACs wherever we find them.”
According to the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
From at least in or about 2015 up to and including the present, JOHN PIERRE DUPONT defrauded thousands of donors who believed they were donating to three political action committees established by DUPONT (the “Scam PACs”), or to campaigns the Scam PACs falsely claimed to support.
DUPONT’s scheme resulted in more than $250,000 being donated through websites he controlled and operated, all of which was retained by DUPONT, both to enrich himself personally and to perpetuate the alleged crime.
