TAMPA, Fla. (WPEC) — The U.S. attorney’s office is unsealing the indictment charge of a Florida student accused of orchestrating a multi-million dollar mail fraud scheme.
The Department of Justice said 21-year-old Matthew Bergwall, also known as “MXB,” had unauthorized access to compromised employee accounts of a multi-national shipping, receiving and supply chain management company from December 2021 until April 2022. Bergwall was a student at the University of Miami.
According to investigators, Bergwall and his co-conspirators used the accounts to enter fraudulent tracking information for merchandise transported by the undisclosed company. This allowed co-conspirators to pursue full refunds from victim-retailers while maintaining physical possession of the merchandise, such as high-end electronics, jewelry, designer clothing and accessories.
The DOJ said Bergwall and his co-conspirators offered this service for sale, which was marketed as “FTID,” or fraudulent tracking ID. Bergwall’s FTID fraud scheme caused nearly 10,000 fraudulent returns and resulted in at least $3.5 million in lost product and sales revenue to victim-retailers.
In addition to orchestrating the overall FTID fraud scheme, Bergwall purchased merchandise for himself and later submitted fraudulent tracking information to the company, prompting full refunds from victim-retailers, officials said. For example, during the course of the conspiracy, he got a $41,000 Rolex President Day-Date watch, a $600 TeamGee H2O Electric Skateboard, a $350 Samsung 43-inch Smart UHD TV and an $80 pair of Reebok shoes.
Bergwall made his initial appearance on Thursday in a Miami courtroom.
If convicted on all counts, Bergwall faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in federal prison. The indictment said the U.S. is also seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.