California Man Indicted for with Three Counts of Wire Fraud to Defraud New Jersey Company

July 16, 2025 - NEWARK, N.J. - A California man has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars from a victim company based in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Joseph Rodriguez, 70, of Irvine, California, is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud.  Rodriguez was arrested yesterday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Early in Santa Ana, California federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In January 2015, Rodriguez, through his company Old American Incorporated, entered into a factoring agreement with a New Jersey company (identified in the indictment as “Victim-1”) to obtain loans secured or collateralized by accounts receivable.  Under the factoring agreement, in which a business sells its outstanding invoices to a third party for immediate cash, Old American retained control over customer relationships and debt collection and was required to pay back Victim-1 directly within 90 days.

From February 2023 through July 2023, Rodriguez submitted to Victim-1 fraudulent invoices for future accounts receivable that Rodriguez represented were owed to Old American.  In fact, the customers listed in the invoices Rodriguez provided to Victim-1 did not owe any money to Old American for any outstanding invoices, and there were no accounts payable to turn over.  Based on the fraudulent invoices, Victim-1 made millions of dollars of advance payments to Rodriguez, which he did not return.

Each of the wire fraud charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.