qwerty123
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Convicted Rockville deaf-services company founder jailed
John T.C. Yeh, founder and former CEO of Rockville deaf services company Viable, has been detained without bail "based on recent violations of the conditions of his bail and pretrial release," according to an order signed May 9 by a federal judge.
Both Yeh and his brother, former Viable executive Joseph Yeh, were to be senenced on Monday of next week, but that has been postponed to July 27, according to court documents.
The men pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J., in October to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In November 2009, they were among 26 people nationwide to be charged in an indictment with conspiring to defraud the Federal Communications Commission's Video Relay Service program, which helps deaf people communicate, by billing the government for millions of dollars in illegitimate calls.
The Yehs each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Alisa Finelli, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Justice Department, said Tuesday that she was checking on more details of what bail conditions Yeh violated.
John Yeh also was arrested in April and charged with theft of items valued at between $10,000 and $100,000 and conspiracy to commit theft, according to Montgomery County District Court documents. He posted bond and was released, according to court records. Yeh is scheduled to be tried on those charges on June 28 in Rockville.
Paul Kemp, a partner with Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger in Rockville who is representing John Yeh, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Neither could Stanley Reed, a principal with Lerch, Early and Brewer in Bethesda who is representing Joseph Yeh.
So far, 22 of the 26 people charged in the case have pleaded guilty to various charges. Benjamin Pena of Scottsdale, Ariz., was found guilty last June following a three-day jury trial in Trenton on five counts, including two counts of filing false claims with the government and two counts of mail fraud.
Pena, a former consultant to Viable, hired two others, whom he paid in cash to make illegitimate calls that were billed to the FCC program through another company, according to court documents. In 2008, he and the employees generated about 200,000 minutes of calls that generated billings of $1.3 million, according to court documents.
Two other former Viable executives, Anthony Mowl and Donald Tropp, are among those who have pleaded guilty in the case. Tropp is expected to be sentenced in July, according to court documents.
kshay@gazette.net
John T.C. Yeh, founder and former CEO of Rockville deaf services company Viable, has been detained without bail "based on recent violations of the conditions of his bail and pretrial release," according to an order signed May 9 by a federal judge.
Both Yeh and his brother, former Viable executive Joseph Yeh, were to be senenced on Monday of next week, but that has been postponed to July 27, according to court documents.
The men pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J., in October to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In November 2009, they were among 26 people nationwide to be charged in an indictment with conspiring to defraud the Federal Communications Commission's Video Relay Service program, which helps deaf people communicate, by billing the government for millions of dollars in illegitimate calls.
The Yehs each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Alisa Finelli, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Justice Department, said Tuesday that she was checking on more details of what bail conditions Yeh violated.
John Yeh also was arrested in April and charged with theft of items valued at between $10,000 and $100,000 and conspiracy to commit theft, according to Montgomery County District Court documents. He posted bond and was released, according to court records. Yeh is scheduled to be tried on those charges on June 28 in Rockville.
Paul Kemp, a partner with Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger in Rockville who is representing John Yeh, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Neither could Stanley Reed, a principal with Lerch, Early and Brewer in Bethesda who is representing Joseph Yeh.
So far, 22 of the 26 people charged in the case have pleaded guilty to various charges. Benjamin Pena of Scottsdale, Ariz., was found guilty last June following a three-day jury trial in Trenton on five counts, including two counts of filing false claims with the government and two counts of mail fraud.
Pena, a former consultant to Viable, hired two others, whom he paid in cash to make illegitimate calls that were billed to the FCC program through another company, according to court documents. In 2008, he and the employees generated about 200,000 minutes of calls that generated billings of $1.3 million, according to court documents.
Two other former Viable executives, Anthony Mowl and Donald Tropp, are among those who have pleaded guilty in the case. Tropp is expected to be sentenced in July, according to court documents.
kshay@gazette.net