Cleveland, OH – Darren Barr, a 39-year-old man from Philadelphia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that defrauded Lucas County out of more than $622,000. The sentencing was announced today by federal authorities.
Between March 2018 and November 2020, Barr worked with accomplices to steal taxpayer money by posing as legitimate vendors approved to do business with the county. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, Barr gathered detailed information about actual vendors and county employees from publicly available websites. This information allowed Barr and his associates to create convincing fraudulent impersonations of vendors, which they used to manipulate county employees into approving fake payments.
Barr and his conspirators set up fraudulent email accounts designed to resemble those of legitimate vendors. These fake emails, which appeared to be from real businesses, were used to send invoices to county employees responsible for processing vendor payments. The emails included forged business details and instructions to deposit funds into fraudulent bank accounts controlled by the criminals.
Using forged Pennsylvania state documents and IRS paperwork, Barr and his group created fake bank accounts to receive the stolen funds. They directed county employees to deposit substantial amounts into these accounts, which they believed to be legitimate vendor accounts. Once the money was transferred, Barr moved the funds into other accounts to further conceal the fraud.
Over the course of the scheme, Barr and his co-conspirators funneled over $622,000 in taxpayer money into their fraudulent accounts. The money was laundered and dispersed through various accounts controlled by the criminals, effectively hiding the illegal activity.
Barr’s involvement in the scheme was uncovered during a federal investigation, leading to his arrest and sentencing. The scheme not only defrauded Lucas County but also violated the public trust, as county employees were misled into processing the payments.
As a result of his conviction, Barr will serve 57 months in a federal prison, and authorities are continuing to investigate his co-conspirators. The case highlights the growing threat of fraud schemes targeting local governments and underscores the importance of vigilance in protecting taxpayer dollars.