A Pennsylvania man was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in what prosecutors allege was a scheme to impersonate members of former President Donald Trump’s family to make money.
Joshua Hall, a 22-year-old from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was arrested Tuesday morning and set to be presented later in the day in Harrisburg federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Susan Schwab, the Justice Department press release said. Hall is accused of creating social media accounts under the names of Trump family members, amassing a total of over 100,000 followers to trick people into donating to a fictitious political organization.
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A Tuesday statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York doesn’t refer to Trump by name or mention the time frame in which the alleged criminal activity took place, but NBC New York cited the FBI reporting the Trump family was targeted.
Additionally, in an interview with the New York Times published in December, Hall admitted to impersonating the Trump family online.
“There was no nefarious intention behind it,” he said. “I was just trying to rally up MAGA supporters and have fun.”
In one online fundraiser, Hall reportedly raised $7,300 for “Gay Voices for Trump,” a group he told the outlet wasn’t real.
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“Hall led hundreds of people to believe they were donating to an organization that didn’t exist by pretending to be someone he wasn’t, as alleged,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. “As we continue to investigate fraud in all its many forms, we urge the public to remain aware of the prevalence of online scams and exercise due diligence when making donations online.”
The wire theft charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to prosecutors. If found guilty of aggravated identity theft, Hall faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Hall will be required to appear in court next.
The Washington Examiner reached out to a representative for the former president but didn’t immediately hear back.
