New Jersey Woman Admits Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business
2022-02-17 · Press release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey woman today admitted transmitting the proceeds of a fraudulent scheme in which elderly victims were falsely told that they had won large sums of money in a lottery sweepstakes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Shanile Lyle, 28, of Orange, New Jersey pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Julian X. Neals to an information charging her with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2018, Lyle received checks from victims of a lottery scheme in which the victims were told that they had won large sums of money in a lottery sweepstakes and had to pre-pay taxes on their winnings. Lyle then deposited that money into a bank account that she controlled. Lyle kept a fee for herself and then wired the remainder of the funds to other individuals, including individuals overseas.
The charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Lyle’s sentencing is scheduled for June 28, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/new-jersey-woman-admits-operating-unlicensed-money-transmitting-business
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 | Shanile Lyle | defendant | Orange, New Jersey | 28 | pleaded guilty | |||
| 1797 | Philip R. Sellinger | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Newark, N.J. | |||
| 1798 | Julian X. Neals | judge | U.S. District Judge | |||||
| 1799 | George Crouch Jr. | investigator | Special Agent in Charge | FBI | Newark | |||
| 1800 | Vera Varshavsky | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit | Newark |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1126 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Newark | George Crouch Jr. | conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea |
| 1127 | U.S. Attorney's Office | USAO | prosecution | Newark | Vera Varshavsky | represented the government in the case |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 929 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | five years in prison | $250,000 | Shanile Lyle | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||
| 2846 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2847 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,00 | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2848 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine o | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2849 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2850 | unlicensed money transmitting business carries a maximum penalty of five years | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 335 | fine | $250,000 | USD | Maximum fine for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | cash | Shanile Lyle | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 234 | individual | elderly victims | elderly | Victims were defrauded by being falsely told they won lottery sweepstakes winnings and required to pre-pay taxes on non-existent proceeds |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 855 | In 2018, Lyle received checks from victims of a lottery scheme in which the victims were told that they had won large sums of money in a lottery sweepstakes and had to pre-pay taxes on their winnings. | statement | Description of the fraudulent scheme | Details the method used to defraud victims |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1128 | Cybercrime | The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit, indicating the digital nature of the fraudulent scheme. | Highlights the use of technology in committing the fraud and the specialized unit handling it. | National | Recent development | Cybercrime Unit, Law enforcement, Victims |
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