A former Baltimore City accountant whopleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in 2006 was sentenced to 51 months in prison by a federal judge on Wednesday.
Wilkins McNair Jr., 49, of Ellicott City, also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Andre Davis to pay the scammed investors restitution of $1,369,000, U.S. State?s Attorney?s Office spokeswoman Vickie Leduc said.
McNair defrauded investors of $1.3 million in a scheme involving an obesity treatment clinic and failed to pay more than $500,000 in federal payroll and income taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, according to U.S. District Court records.
Between March 2004 and October 2005, five investors incorporated under the name M.O.M. Investment Group entrusted McNair, former owner of Wilkins McNair P.C., with about $1.6 million to finance the obesity treatment clinic. McNair used about $1.3 million of that money for personal benefit, according to a statement by U.S. State?s Attorney Rod Rosenstein.
McNair?s attorney Ivan Bates could not be reached for comment.
McNair is the former accountant for Nathan A. Chapman Jr., who was convicted in August 2004 for using money he managed for the Maryland State Retirement & Pension System to buy stock in his own company, eChapman.com Inc.
