O’Fallon couple accused of $2 million extortion and fraud scheme in federal indictment
An O’Fallon couple has been charged in what federal authorities are calling a $2 million extortion and fraud scheme carried out over a nearly 10-year period, according to an announcement Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Emmitt T. Tiner, 53, and Matissia S. Holt, 41, are named in a 54-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Monday.
“The charges accuse Tiner of various frauds, along with an audacious extortion scheme where he demanded payment after convincing victims that they would be implicated in fabricated crimes, ” United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said in a news release.
Tiner is alleged to have extorted more than $2 million from his victims, the release states.
Tiner was arraigned in federal court in East St. Louis Monday. He entered a not guilty plea on all counts. Holt is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 3 at 11:30 a.m.
Their attorneys declined to comment when contacted by the BND.
The release states that “Tiner devised and engaged in a five-year scheme to defraud people and businesses, particularly owners of small businesses in the St. Louis metropolitan area, and fraudulently obtain as much money as possible from them.”
Tiner then tried to convince his victims that he had engaged in crimes on their behalf so that he could repay them, the release states.
“Tiner would then attempt to convince the victims that they were accomplices to his crimes and threaten to falsely implicate them to law enforcement if they did not give him more money,” the release states.
Tiner is accused of threatening to kill or injure them or their families as part of the extortion scheme, according to the release.
Tiner and Holt also are accused of money laundering and conducting financial transactions with criminal proceeds.
Authorities say they hid money from Tiner’s victims in bank accounts that were in Holt’s name. The couple used the money to buy a home on Knollhaven Trail in O’Fallon, buy a lot and build a house on Pausch Road in O’Fallon and buy expensive vehicles, the release states.
Tiner and Holt are also accused of defrauding Illinois Department of Human Services through its Personal Assistant program, which pays people to be personal assistants for the disabled.
Holt was listed as Tiner’s personal assistant from April 2016 through December 2019, the release states.
“The indictment alleges that Tiner and Holt repeatedly lied to IDHS, including falsely representing that Tiner was wheelchair bound, failing to disclose large asset transfers, and certifying that Holt had performed work for Tiner on several dates when Tiner was out of town at a Chicago-area casino,” the release states.
Agents from the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, and the Illinois State Police conducted the investigation.
“The federal, state, and local investigators did an outstanding job collecting evidence to support such a wide array of charges, especially during the ongoing pandemic,” Weinhoeft said in the release.
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
