JACKSON — A Brookhaven man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for a wire fraud scheme that defrauded investors of more than $928,000, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced.
David Tiler Castillo, 23, was sentenced Jan. 13 to 40 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, followed by three years of supervised release, on one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette of the Southern District of Mississippi also ordered Castillo to pay $928,500 in restitution to his victims.
According to the attorney general’s office, Castillo knowingly devised a scheme to defraud investors by soliciting funds under false pretenses and then misappropriating the money for his own use.
The case was investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office after a referral from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, with assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
“My office is committed to holding those who defraud Mississippians accountable,” Fitch said in a statement. “Financial crimes like this hurt hardworking individuals, and I am proud of the diligent work from our investigators and partners who ensured justice was served in this case.”
Secretary of State Michael Watson credited his office’s role in uncovering the scheme.
“Through their daily efforts to protect our securities investors, this individual will no longer rob our citizens of their hard-earned dollars,” Watson said.
Officials did not release additional details about the victims or how long the scheme operated.
