The simple definition of the word “organization” is a group of people who work together with a sole purpose, like a neighborhood association, a charity, a union, or a corporation. You can use the word organization to refer to a group or business, or to the act of forming or establishing something. When Quinten Gionvanni and Myra Bolech Minks established the Moody-Minks Organization, it sure did have a group of people working together. But the Moody-Minks Organization’ lacked the warm definition of a charity or union. It’s sole purpose was strictly to break the law.
The Moody and Minks Organization began in 2017 with the purpose to unlawfully transport marijuana from California to Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, and Texas. With many miles to cover, and Moody and Minks hired couriers, airline personnel, and a shipping organization to deliver the marijuana to its various locations. To control the “transportation personnel” Minks would pretend to be a special agent of federal law enforcement agencies in order to get nonpublic information about the criminal conduct of the organization’s members. It’s okay if the organization is breaking the law, but better stay above the law to transport for the group!
It wasn’t the only time Moody and Minks pretended to be working as federal government officials. In May of 2022, Moody and Minks gave a tow truck company fake federal court orders for the release of Moody’s impounded vehicles. They had marijuana to deliver! Moody and Minks directed the tow truck driver to take the fake court orders to the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office and remove the vehicles from the FBI’s secure lot. It is not the first time a fraudster pretended to be someone else.
The pandemic gave Moody and Minks Organization a new goal. The purpose was to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) by fraudulently file for COVID-19 unemployment benefits using stolen identities. In total, the defendants fraudulently caused EDD to disburse more than $120,000, before the Moody and Minks Organization was closed.
On March 31, 2023, Quinten Giovanni Moody pleaded guilty government benefit fraud along with transporting illegal substances. Stay tuned for Minks.
This case was solved because of the community-based program Project Safe Neighborhoods. Great job.
Today’s Fraud Of The Day is based on article “Dublin man faces up to 40 years for marijuana trafficking, COVID-19 insurance fraud” published by Bay City News on March 29, 2023
A Dublin man pleaded guilty Tuesday to multiple crimes, including conspiracy to distribute marijuana, aggravated identity theft and obstruction of justice, federal prosecutors said.
Quenten Giovanni Moody, aka Christano Rossi, 38, admitted transporting marijuana out of state, committing insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, and creating fake FBI documents to attempt to get two of his government-seized vehicles released back to him.
