LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty after defrauding political action committee donors.
From 2017 to 2020, Richard Zeitlin used his telemarketing call center business and other associated entities to defraud donors by providing misleading and false information about how the donors' money would be spent.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Zeitlin directed his employees to alter call scripts used when calling potential donors on behalf of certain PACs in order to mislead donors to think they would be giving to charities instead of a PAC.
You can see a list of the following PACs that received services from Zeitlin's call center business from 2017 to 2020 below.
- Americans For Police And Trooper Safety
- Americans For The Cure of Breast Cancer
- Association For Emergency Responders And Firefighters
- Autism Hear Us Now
- Children's Leukemia Support Network
- Constitutional Leadership
- Cops And Kids Together
- Firefighters Alliance Of America
- For A Better America
- Heart Disease Network Of America
- Law Enforcement For A Safer America
- National Assistance Committee
- Police Officers Defense Alliance
- Put Vets First! d/b/a Association For American Veterans
- Standing By Veterans
- Support Our Police
- United American Veterans
- United Veterans Alliance Of America
- US Veterans Assistance Foundation
- Veterans Aid
An indictment states Zeitlin's businesses pocketed 90% of the funds that were raised.
When one PAC treasurer confronted Zeitlin with complaints from donors, court documents state Zeitlin falsely denied the calls were being made, acknowledged those calls would be inappropriate, and refused to give the treasurer any call recordings that would have revealed his fraud.
After learning that he and his businesses were under investigation, Zeitlin directed his employees to delete electronic messages related to his business.
He was eventually charged and has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. He can receive a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10.
