Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Laundering Proceeds Of International Fraud Scheme Targeting Seniors

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CHASE HARRIS pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering based on his role in laundering proceeds from an international technology-support fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims and resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million from approximately 25 known victims across the United States. In connection with today's resolution, the Government is immediately recovering $282,376 in restitution that will be used to compensate victims. HARRIS pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2026.

"Chase Harris profited from a scheme that preyed on seniors by stoking and exploiting their fear," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "After his co-conspirators extracted money from their victims, Harris laundered that money and sent it to India. Today's plea, together with Harris's restitution of over $1.2 million for victims, reflects this Office's commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us."

According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in public court proceedings:

From at least in or about November 2023 through at least in or about July 2024, HARRIS participated in an IT fraud scheme targeting elderly victims throughout the United States. As part of the scheme, HARRIS's co-conspirators identified elderly victims and caused pop-up ads to appear on their computers, falsely informing them that their computers had been infected with a virus. At times, HARRIS's co-conspirators posed as federal agents and threatened their victims with baseless criminal charges. Amid their coercive demands, the co-conspirators told victims that they had to pay for IT services to resolve these fraudulent issues, directing victims to send handwritten checks to various businesses, including several owned or controlled by HARRIS-including CSH Management LLC, C4H Management LLC, and S2J Consulting LLC. However, no services were ever provided.

After receiving checks from the victims, HARRIS transferred most of the proceeds from the scheme, totaling more than $1.2 million, to an India-based company operated by one of his co-conspirators. In return, HARRIS kept a portion of the stolen funds as a fee. While discussing the profitability of the scheme with HARRIS, one of his co-conspirators told him, "We can make millions [i]n [a] [j]iffy."

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HARRIS, 36, of Keller, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. HARRIS also agreed to forfeit all proceeds from the offense and make restitution to victims in the amount of $1,240,847.99.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office's White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reyhan Watson and Timothy Deal are in charge of the prosecution.