Press Release
BROWARD BUSINESSMAN AND ASSOCIATE PLEAD GUILTY TO FRAUD CHARGES
July 18, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael K. Fithen, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, Miami Field Office, and Amos Rojas, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, announced that defendants Bruce Horner, 54, of Coral Springs, FL, and Arthur Bitterman, 25, of Greenacres, FL, pled guilty today in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, before United States District Court Judge Kenneth A. Marra. The defendants pled guilty to attempted bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344 and 2. Bruce Horner also pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions and other businesses, including credit card issuers and processing companies, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and to wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (Case No. 08-60169-CR-MARRA).
Horner is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. and Bitterman is scheduled to sentenced on September 26, 2008, by Judge Marra in federal court West Palm Beach, Florida. At sentencing, the defendants face up to 30 years' imprisonment on the bank fraud count. Defendant Horner faces up to an additional 30 years' imprisonment on the conspiracy count and up to 20 years' imprisonment as to the wire fraud count.
According to the Information, Horner owned a business in Tamarac, Florida. The Information alleges that between 2006 and 2008, Horner and Bitterman engaged in a scheme to defraud various financial institutions. To execute the scheme, Bitterman opened bank accounts for Horner at various financial institutions. After the accounts were opened, Horner would open a credit card terminal merchant account. Horner subsequently swiped unauthorized and stolen credit cards for large transactions, totaling more than $104,000. These proceeds would then be directly deposited into bank accounts that Horner controlled.
A related scheme, according to the Information, took place when Horner instructed Bitterman to close some of the previously opened bank accounts. Horner then opened another account at a different financial institution. Subsequently, Horner cashed fifty-nine checks at the new financial institution, totaling approximately $4.6 million dollars. These checks were drawn on the previously closed accounts. Once the checks were cashed, Horner used the money to pay various creditors, co-defendant Arthur Bitterman, and personal expenses. When the checks from the closed accounts were ultimately returned for insufficient funds, Horner had already received and used the money, leaving the financial institution with a significant loss.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the United States Secret Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Katz.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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