David Uvaldo Mora Sanchez's Web in Denver Drug Empire
How a 32-year-old Aurora man became entangled in an eight-person conspiracy that moved methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine across Colorado's Front Range.
About Victoria
Victoria Chase spent fifteen years at a major metropolitan daily newspaper, where she earned two Investigative Reporters and Editors awards for her coverage of municipal corruption and corporate fraud. She left the newsroom to focus exclusively on longform crime writing, bringing her talent for cultivating sources and her instinct for narrative structure to ConFraud. Her pieces regularly exceed 4,000 words and have been cited in federal sentencing memoranda. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's in political science from the University of Michigan.
Articles by Victoria
Arron Howard's $626K Unemployment Fraud Empire Across Three States
A West Bloomfield man built a sophisticated scheme to steal pandemic unemployment benefits, keeping portions of fraudulent claims filed for dozens of fake claimants.
Joathan Colula: The California Kingpin's Midwest Empire
How a 33-year-old California man orchestrated a multi-state drug trafficking operation that flooded the Midwest with deadly fentanyl and cocaine.
The Double Life of Thomas C. Goldstein: High-Stakes Gambler
The SCOTUSblog founder who argued 40+ Supreme Court cases hid millions in gambling debts while defrauding lenders and the IRS.
Sniders Jean-Jacques and the $6.7M American Dream Factory
A Miami tax preparer built a criminal empire manufacturing fake financial lives for clients who couldn't qualify for mortgages and luxury apartments.
Joshua White's $11.5M COVID Con: A Family Fraud Dynasty
A Pennsylvania father and son exploited pandemic relief programs in one of the largest PPP frauds ever prosecuted in the Middle District.
Christopher Alexander Delgado's $328M Cryptocurrency Fraud
The Goliath Ventures CEO lived lavishly while running a three-year Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of hundreds of millions through fake crypto returns.
Pedro Mendoza Martinez and the Aurora Cartel Connection
A sprawling drug conspiracy in Denver's suburbs reveals how transnational crime networks operate in America's heartland.
Karan Gupta's $1.2M Ghost Employee Scheme at Optum
A senior director at healthcare giant Optum hired his unqualified friend for a six-figure job, then collected kickbacks for four years while the employee did nothing.
Navin Khanna's $600M Catalytic Converter Empire
A New Jersey businessman turned stolen auto parts into a McLaren collection, flaunting his crimes with a vanity license plate that spelled out Toyota Prius part codes.
Remigijus Mikelenas: The Restaurateur's Hidden Books
A New Hampshire café owner's eight-year tax evasion scheme unraveled when he showed his "real" books to an undercover IRS agent.
Edward McCorkle's Half-Million Dollar COVID Fraud Empire
A Baltimore County man turned pandemic relief into personal gain, fraudulently obtaining over $523,000 in CARES Act loans for fake businesses.
Emmanuel Lee Baldwin's $191K Treasury Check Scheme
A North Carolina man altered a U.S. Treasury check and laundered nearly $200,000 through fake accounts before federal investigators closed in.
Genesis Delgado Rosa's Web of Fake Emergencies
A Kansas City woman orchestrated fake grandchild emergencies, exploiting elderly victims' love to fund an international fraud network.
Oliver Austin Thomas, III: High Roller's $446K Tax Dodge
A North Carolina man used fake social security numbers to hide massive casino winnings from the IRS, ultimately owing nearly half a million in taxes.
Justin Bryant and the AI-Powered Housing Fraud That Fooled Nobody
A Kentucky man became entangled in a $3.5 million scheme that used ChatGPT to fabricate records and targeted Minneapolis's most vulnerable residents.
Philip Galles Promised 336% Returns, Delivered Only Lies
A Chicago commodities trader spun tales of billion-dollar funds and Kuwaiti investors while running a $4 million Ponzi scheme from his luxury apartment.
The Blue Box Betrayal: How Shawneasha L. Watson Turned Trust Into Fraud
A Kansas City postal worker exploited the very system she was sworn to protect, stealing checks from blue collection boxes and orchestrating a scheme that reached from mail theft to pandemic fraud.
Aly Kaba's Pandemic Con: From Rolex to Federal Prison
A New Rochelle man used dead people's identities to steal $150,000 in COVID benefits, spending the money on luxury watches and overseas travel.
Mario Cesar Dos Santos, Jr. and the Fake Federal Badge Empire
A Brazilian national created an elaborate fraud using stolen government seals to sell fake federal credentials across the country.
Basil Tikriti and the $1.5M House That Vanished
A Marina del Rey man allegedly helped orchestrate an elaborate real estate fraud that sold a Burbank homeowner's house without his knowledge.
Josef Ratcliff's $10 Million Postal Service Betrayal
A trusted USPS purchasing specialist sold government secrets for bribes disguised as birthday gifts and coffee money.
The Driver's License Factory: Robert Danger Correa's Fall
A Kentucky transportation employee and four others allegedly sold expedited licenses to immigrants for up to $1,500, bypassing safety tests.