A convicted scammer tried to avoid restitution; appeals court says no

East Coast man convicted in South Dakota for bilking investors

A fake international banker who bilked investors out of millions of dollars over a 15-year period must use his Social Security income to pay restitution, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Ronald Totaro was convicted in 2001 by a South Dakota jury of 61 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, engaging in unlawful money transactions and racketeering. The scam ran from 1984 until he was caught in 1999 operating an “advance fee” scheme. By the time he was caught, investors were out millions.

Senate leader moves for PUC changes after carbon pipeline dispute

Totaro was sentenced to 30 years. The steep prison sentence reflected his previous conviction in 1984 for operating a similar scam in New York.

During the course of his confinement in federal prison, Totaro went from being a make-believe international banker to a jailhouse lawyer, filing a number of complaints arguing that he should be released. His filings became a source of “numerous adverse decisions” that were affirmed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scouting Report: A weekly digest

Noem banned again by Oglala Sioux after tying reservation crime to southern border crisis