\u201cRobert W.\u00a0Lederhilger\u00a0III\u00a0defrauded\u00a0tens of thousands of small businesses over the course of\u00a0more than\u00a0seven years,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLederhilger\u00a0mailed\u00a0fake bills for webhosting services\u00a0to businesses across the country and collected payments from victims without providing them with webhosting\u2014or any other service. \u00a0This federal criminal conviction demonstrates that New Yorkers will not tolerate fraud and want those who victimize the public through lies held accountable.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:<\/p>\n
Beginning in 2015, LEDERHILGER operated companies through which he purported to offer webhosting services.\u00a0 LEDERHILGER designed and executed a scheme in which he mailed, and caused others to mail, over three million mailers that looked like invoices for webhosting services.\u00a0 LEDERHILGER sent those mailers to, among others, small businesses that already had websites in order to make those businesses believe that LEDERHILGER was their current webhosting provider and that they needed to pay him.\u00a0 When victim businesses made payments to LEDERHILGER, they received no service in return.\u00a0 The only thing the victims received was a \u201crenewal\u201d bill a year later, asking for another payment.\u00a0 Between approximately 2015 and 2021, LEDERHILGER made at least approximately $2.99 million from this scheme.<\/p>\n
*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n
LEDERHILGER, 44, of Bradenton, Florida, was convicted of one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.<\/p>\n
This case is being handled by the Office\u2019s General Crimes Unit.\u00a0 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Getzel Berger, Kevin Grossinger, and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Christopher Harris and Alexandra LeBaron.<\/p>\n
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