Mael Chemla, 61, a U.S., French, and Israeli national, previously residing in Aventura, Florida, was extradited to the United States from Germany and made his initial appearance in Miami federal court yesterday to face charges for his role in operating a mailing fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, unsealed yesterday, Chemla allegedly conspired with others to send letters to victims throughout the United States that appeared to be personalized communications from psychics. The letters falsely informed victims that the psychic had learned of an imminent financial windfall the victim was entitled to receive, and the victim needed to send a payment in order to receive the financial windfall. Chemla opened U.S. bank accounts in the names of the purported psychics, deposited checks from victims of the scheme into those accounts, then wired the victim funds to European bank accounts controlled by a co-conspirator. From September 2016 through November 2020, Chemla and his co-conspirator collected more than $4 million from thousands of victims in the United States, many of whom were elderly and otherwise vulnerable.
Chemla is charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud. If convicted, Chemla faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on all counts.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ann Entwistle and Charles Dunn of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support in the litigation before the German extradition court, and once extradition was granted, coordinated with the U.S. Marshals to arrange the defendant’s transport to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.