Christopher L. Keel, age 52 and of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty on Wednesday (June 14, 2023) to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false impersonation of an employee or officer of the United States, arising from his actions to defraud elderly victims in Louisiana and Washington State, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle scheduled Keel’s sentencing for October 11, 2023. Keel faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.
Keel was arrested on April 4, 2022 by Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies in Hammond while attempting to further defraud a 77-year-old woman identified as Victim A. Keel and his co-conspirators, posing as U.S. Department of Treasury agents, bilked Victim A out of $120,000.00. They then instructed her to hand over the remaining funds from her accounts. However, Victim A's bank contacted her son, who called the police, who nabbed Keel in the mall parking lot in Hammond.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) continued the investigation and learned that Keel and his co-conspirators had defrauded Victim B, a 76 year-old woman from Seattle, Washington, of $300,000.00 and Victim C, a 80 year-old woman from Bossier Parish, Louisiana, of $36,000.00.
Since October 2021, Keel and his co-conspirators caused approximately $4,498,327 in actual and attempted losses to 31 victims located throughout the United States.
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