Sartell Woman Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Case

(KNSI) — A Sartell woman has admitted to wire fraud charges in connection with a $9 million scheme.

According to U.S. Attorney Andy Luger, 40-year-old Adelle Starin operated Baby’s on Broadway, which sold baby products and toys. According to court documents, she used the business to orchestrate a fraudulent scheme targeting TRICARE, which is the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System’s healthcare program.

Court papers say Starin submitted false claims for reimbursement to TRICARE, which initially paid out the fraudulent claims. When TRICARE began rejecting her claims, Starin expanded her scheme by creating a fictitious company called Sunshine Medical LLC. She falsely represented to two lenders, Liquid Capital Enterprises Corp. and Slope Tech Inc., that she needed financing to purchase inventory for Baby’s on Broadway from Sunshine Medical. In reality, Sunshine Medical had no legitimate business operations or revenue.

To secure the financing, Starin fabricated invoices from Sunshine Medical and transmitted them via interstate wire communications. Over the course of her scheme, she fraudulently obtained more than $9 million in financing based on these misrepresentations.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Health Agency Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Bobier is prosecuting the case.

A sentencing hearing for Starin will be scheduled at a later date.

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