Trio Facing Charges In Usd 4 Million Tuna Fraud Schemeff

They are accused of stealing millions from a tuna fishing firm in Latin America. A Pa. lawyer was named but not charged.

A Texas man conspired with associates in Puerto Rico and Miami to steal $4 million from a Venezuelan tuna fish company and wire it to a suspended Philadelphia-area lawyer, federal authorities said yesterday.

The lawyer, Wendell R. Wylie Jr., of Douglassville, Berks County, is an aspiring movie producer. He had told that he believed the money was wired into his account to jump-start a $100 million movie that would star Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Authorities have scoffed at the idea. They seized much of the cash soon after it was transferred and have fought Wylie’s efforts in civil court to regain it. Wylie did not return a call seeking comment.

The indictment, filed in Philadelphia, did not charge Wylie with a crime.

But his friend and former client, Paul Bauer, 48, of Dallas, and Bauer’s associates Alfredo Perez, 58, of Miami, and Julio Perez, 30, of Yauco, Puerto Rico, were charged with conspiracy and wire fraud. The Perezes are not related.

The indictment alleges that the three men who were charged offered themselves as international currency brokers to a South American fishing company, Pinto-Spinali, which sought to convert 13 billion Venezuelan bolivares into $4 million to pay for boat repairs.

After Bauer received the shipping company’s money to begin the transaction, he allegedly transferred the money to one of Wylie's Citizens Bank accounts in Berks County. At the time, Wylie had $17 in it.

After the $4 million arrived in the account, authorities said, Wylie followed Bauer’s instructions and wired about $1.4 million back to Bauer and his accountant. Federal authorities soon seized much of the rest from Wylie’s accounts in Pennsylvania, plus a new Jaguar he bought with the money.

If convicted of the charges, the three men probably face at least four years in prison under advisory federal sentencing guidelines. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chun said they are expected to surrender soon. She declined to comment on whether more charges are forthcoming.

Cathy Henry, Bauer’s lawyer, could not be reached for comment. Jose Aguayo, a lawyer for Julio Perez, and Joaquin Perez, a lawyer for Alfredo Perez, declined to comment.