Alachua Police Department Honored in Washington, DC

Key Role in Cracking Nationwide Fraud Scheme

ALACHUA – The Alachua Police Department (APD) was recently honored in Washington, DC for critical contributions from Lieutenant Jason Moses and Detective Jacob Eady (then with the Alachua County Sheriff's Office), for their instrumental role in dismantling a nationwide fraud scheme. The operation, which spanned multiple agencies, resulted in the arrest and conviction of career criminal Korey Wise, who caused significant financial losses while exploiting vulnerable populations.

This extensive investigation was a collaborative effort involving Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), Amtrak Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Through advanced surveillance, undercover operations, and cross-state coordination, the team unraveled a scheme that targeted minority-owned businesses and exploited at-risk youth to commit fraud.

The investigation not only led to the safe arrests of Wise and Frazier but also to the recovery of stolen funds, amounting to over $500,000 in losses for Amtrak and Trailways.

According to the Amtrak OIG, Korey Wise, a 48-year-old from California, orchestrated the operation by targeting small businesses, particularly those owned by individuals who spoke English as a second language. According to court documents, Wise would call these businesses pretending to be a representative of a utility company calling to collect overdue bills, or posing as an official from a licensing board that oversaw nail salons.

He would tell the business owners that they owed an inspection fee, and if the fee was paid over the telephone with a credit card, the fee would be reduced. Wise would then use the credit card information he collected from his victims to purchase travel reservations on carriers including Amtrak and Trailways. From January 2014 through May 2017, Wise fraudulently purchased approximately $475,910 worth of tickets from Amtrak and Trailways.

In May 2023, Wise pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In January, he was sentenced to 51 months in prison, followed by two years of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution of $475,910.

The Alachua Police Department’s contributions to the case were pivotal in ensuring its successful resolution. Their expertise, teamwork, and dedication to justice earned them recognition for their role in dismantling the fraud operation.

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