Three local women arrested more than two years ago in connection to an international online fraud scheme by the Federal Bureau of Investigation all have changed their pleas to guilty.
Marilyn Sterk of Otley, Jennifer Sterk of Pella, and Teresa Sterk of Knoxville were arrested in February 2020 on a warrant by the FBI for multiple charges that occurred across state lines, and some of the activity happened in Tennessee and Iowa, according to federal records.
The plea agreement has Marilyn declaring guilt for two of the charges — conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and money laundering. She faces up to one year of federal imprisonment and agrees to pay restitution for victims and other fines.
Jennifer and Teresa each pled guilty to one count of committing wire fraud and mail fraud and had the other charge dismissed. Jennifer could also be sentenced up to a year in prison and ordered to pay restitution and other fines, while Teresa is recommended for probation and to also pay back damages.
The trio were out of custody as of time the press release was sent by the U.S. Department of Justice, and are subject to regular check-ins with probation officers until a change of plea hearing and sentencing date are set.
According to a Federal Grand Jury Indictment, the Sterks were involved in a scheme with Ankur “Andy” Khemani of India and Gaurav Bhasin of Maryland. Beginning in 2014 and continuing through November of 2018, the group embarked in a scheme through which they sought to steal as much money as possible by selling worthless and unnecessary computer programs and services to victims across the United States. They would use pop-up advertisements, falsely informing individuals that there was a serious problem with their computer, and that it would result in “dire” consequences if not addressed immediately.
The advertisement would provide a toll-free number that a victim would call to get assistance with the issue, which then would guide the user to a fake technician to allow for remote access, where fake tests were run on the system. Using fear as motivation, the representative over the phone would sell phony technical support services and unnecessary software costing between $300 to $1,500. The group would direct victims to send payment by check, U.S. Mail, or FedEx to bank accounts connected to co-conspirators in India.
The Sterks were given the task of setting up fake technical support companies, several of which were registered in Iowa. The group used their own home and post office box addresses for the fake businesses. The Sterks are accused of pulling 5 to 10 percent of each transaction as their own commission, and then wired the funds to the main scheme leaders, identified as Khemani and Bhasin. The group would have to frequently set up new bank accounts for the fake companies, as many of the victim’s checks were dishonored as the financial institutions recognized a pattern of large deposits followed by offshore wire transfers typically used in scams.
CSentencing Agreement for Teresa Sterk