U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Candice V. Cunningham and Joseph E. Johnson Jr.
PENDING CRIMINAL DIVISION CASES
United States v. Candice V. Cunningham and Joseph E. Johnson Jr.,
Court Docket No.: 23-CR-046
Court Assigned: This case will be assigned to a United States District Judge Lynn Adelman for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The address of the courthouse is 517 E. Wisconsin Ave. Rm. 362. Milwaukee, WI 53202.
On March 14, 2023, A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin returned an indictment that was unsealed charging an Illinois woman and man with running illegal multimillion-dollar pyramid schemes in at least four different states.
According to court documents, Candice V. Cunningham, 35, and Joseph E. Johnson, Jr., 50, both of Chicago, operated a series of pyramid schemes that were advertised to victim-participants under various names including, but not limited to, Wealth Partners Publishing, Wealth Wise, Zero to Profit, 30 Day Success Formula, Lav Label, Beckett Group, and DTR Group.
According to the indictment, marketing materials for the pyramid schemes made the material misrepresentation that if a victim-participant invested money in one of the schemes, that victim-participant would receive payments from other participants he or she recruited. The materials also are alleged to have falsely promised that if a victim-participant did not receive payments from other participants, the victim-participant was guaranteed that his or her initial investment would be fully refunded. In reality, as alleged in the indictment, most victim-participants did not receive any payments from other participants and most victim-participants were denied the return of their initial investment. As a result of their alleged scheme, Cunningham, Johnson, and others obtained millions of dollars.
Cunningham and Johnson are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and seven counts of mail fraud. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances on March 28, 2023 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
For more information about United States v. Candice V. Cunningham & Joseph E. Johnson Jr. please see below:
Press Release – March 24, 2023
Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement, you may do so by mailing the Victim Impact Statement below (or a letter to the court) to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution, NW, Bond Building, Room 4416, Washington, D.C. 20530. You also may submit the Victim Impact Statement via email at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by fax at: (202) 514-3708.
The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: It is important to keep in mind that an indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and that presumption requires both the court and our office to take certain steps to ensure that justice is served.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged. Section 3771(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.
If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.
Plea Agreements: Please be aware that many criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement between the Department of Justice and the defendant. You should also know that it is not unusual for a defendant to seek to negotiate a plea agreement shortly before trial is scheduled to begin. Plea agreements can be made at any time and as late as the morning of trial, leaving little or no opportunity to provide notice to you of the date and time of the plea hearing. If the court schedules a plea hearing in this case, we will use our best efforts to notify you of available information as soon as practicable. If you want to inform the prosecutor of your views regarding potential plea agreements, or any other aspect of the case, please contact the prosecutor assigned to this case or call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.