U.S. Citizen Formerly Based in Philippines Pleads Guilty in Scheme Targeting Servicemembers and Veterans

Robert Wayne Boling Jr., 45, a U.S. citizen who previously lived in the Philippines, pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the Justice Department said. According to the department, the charges relate to an identity-theft and fraud scheme that victimized thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.

According to court documents cited by the department, Boling operated from the Philippines and used stolen personal information to compromise victims' bank accounts and online government-affiliated benefits accounts, taking money and veterans' benefits. The department said co-conspirator Fredrick Brown, a civilian medical records administrator for the U.S. Army in South Korea, photographed the personal information of thousands of military-affiliated individuals and gave it to Boling. The department said the group used a network of money mules in the United States to receive stolen funds and send a portion to the Philippines.

The Philippines deported Boling to the United States in May 2026, the department said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2027, and faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.

Boling is the third defendant to plead guilty in the case. Brown and Trorice Crawford previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 151 and 46 months in prison, respectively. Two other alleged co-conspirators, Jongmin Seok and Allan Albert Kerr, remain fugitives, according to the department.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/296