Man indicted in $10 million psychic solicitation scheme that used Piscataway company

Newark -- A German citizen who allegedly created direct mail solicitations from psychics has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with orchestrating the scheme that targeted the elderly and other vulnerable victims for payment.

Georg Ingenbleek, 54, has been charged with two counts of mail fraud, four counts of money laundering and one count of obstruction of justice, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said in a release.

And he allegedly used a direct mail marketing services company in Piscataway to print and mail the solicitations.

Ingenbleek was associated with and also used a company, Regency Direct Marketing AG, located in Switzerland, for his mass mailing campaigns, the release states.

According to the indictment, from 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek allegedly created numerous direct mail solicitations supposedly from world-renowned psychics, falsely and fraudulently claiming that the recipients were being contacted because they had been the subject of specific visions by the psychics, including visions that the recipients were going to receive large sums of money and good fortune.

Many of the letters falsely promised that the psychic services or objects being offered were free of charge. The letters were actually mass-produced using software and information provided by Ingenbleek to a direct mail marketing services company in Piscataway that Ingenbleek retained to print and mail the solicitations, the release states.

Ingenbleek allegedly directed a second company to send fraudulent billing notices to the same victims which stated that the victims owed money for psychic services, which in many cases had been offered free of charge. The fraudulent billing notices were labeled “collection notices” and “invoices,” falsely representing that the victims owed late payment fees, and falsely stating that a psychic or astrology organization would refer the victim to a “collection agency” and take legal action if the recipient did not send a check, usually for $20 to $50. Through his fraudulent psychic mailing campaign, Ingenbleek obtained more than $10 million dollars from the victims, the release states.

In September 2016, Ingenbleek allegedly directed representatives of the Piscataway company and the other company to destroy all materials related to his fraudulent psychic mailings in response to federal criminal investigations into his conduct and the conduct of other participants in the scheme, the release states.

In one email, dated Sept. 23, 2016, Ingenbleek allegedly told a representative of the second company “You cannot wait! I advise you urgently to get rid of the material! Use your own car, rent a truck, start today, work all weekend,” the release states.

If convicted of the mail fraud and obstruction counts Ingenbleek could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The money laundering counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

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