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104 stories matching defraud
- Jailed for a Five Dollar Debt
A Spokane barber finds himself behind bars after a landlady uses criminal law to settle a civil board bill.
- The Seattle Bazaar Bankruptcy Scandal
Bank sues Samuel Levy, alleging the Seattle Bazaar’s closure and stock seizures were a scheme to defraud creditors.
- The Yesler Will Conspiracy
Prominent Seattle figures face charges of destroying the last testament of the city's pioneer founder as the defense fights for a dismissal.
- The Shingle Trust’s Long Arm
A Snohomish mill owner is hauled to Tacoma under arrest, accused of defrauding a powerful shingle trust over a single carload of lumber.
- A Saloon Debt, a Partnership, and a Judge’s Ruling on Fraud
A Tacoma liquor wholesaler tried to attach Olympia and Tenino saloons over $700; the court said the property shuffle wasn’t enough to prove fraudulent intent.
- The Mail Fraud Ring Exposed
Federal court convicts four men involved in a widespread conspiracy to defraud the public through mail schemes.
- The Land Office Libel Suit
A North Yakima man faces criminal charges after accusing a former land register of orchestrating a fraudulent land claim.
- The Price of a Phony Partnership
A Seattle man alleges he was swindled into buying a worthless photo studio by a pair of partners who claimed to have phantom land holdings.
- The Swindle of the Polk County Farm
A Seattle man alleges his business partners orchestrated a complex real estate scheme to defraud him.
- The Mill That Vanished Before Its Workers Got Paid
Kent mill hands won wage liens, then found the company's assets allegedly shifted to a new corporation—and the sheriff returning 'No property found.'
- Land Office Scandal in Woolley
A United States court commissioner stands accused of defrauding settlers by withholding land fees and failing to file legal documents.
- A Gambler's Estate Turns Ugly
A bitter legal battle over the estate of a Tacoma gambling house proprietor spills over into public accusations of fraud and pauperism.
- A Missing Husband and a Disputed Insurance Claim
A Tacoma woman sues an insurance company for her husband's policy, but the company claims he faked his disappearance to escape domestic strife.
- The Mysterious Woman Passing Forged Checks
A woman allegedly defrauded five Ellensburg businesses using stolen identities before vanishing.
- The Ghost of the Chicken Ranch
After E.G. Radloff faked his own death by burning another man's body in his home, the insurance company he tried to defraud is finally coming for his property.
- A Candidate’s Dark Financial History
Court records and a mother's affidavit allege that Democratic candidate H.J. Snively misappropriated insurance money intended for a family of orphans.
- No Honor Among Gamblers
A Seattle judge dismisses a lawsuit between two gambling house partners, ruling that the courts have no jurisdiction over crooked dealings.
- The Sinking of the May Parker: A Maritime Fraud Trial
Accusations of insurance fraud and a conspiracy to sink a schooner in the Straits of Fuca lead to a complex trial featuring claims of insanity and corruption.
- Sewer Graft Scandal Hits Ballard
A contractor linked to Walla Walla infrastructure is accused of corrupting a massive sewer project in Ballard.
- Railroad Receivership Sparks Seattle Anxiety
A multi-thousand dollar suit against the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railroad leaves business owners fearing insolvency.
- The Insurance Scheme of the Mary Parker
A courtroom drama unfolds as a detective’s undercover sting operation faces accusations of coercion and bribery.
- A Corporate Squeeze in Seattle
A stockholder sues to place a local railway and elevator company under receivership, alleging a conspiracy to freeze out investors.
- The 'Artistic Swindle' of the Shipbuilding Trust
A scathing editorial denounces the financial manipulation behind the Shipbuilding Trust as a 'bunco game' orchestrated by Gilded Age titans.
- A Conspiracy to Secure Land for Nothing
A widower sues his business partners for $5,000, claiming a fraudulent land deal left them owning his property for free.
- The Great Land Grant Tax Dodging Scheme
Railroad companies are holding onto millions of acres of public land without filing for patents to avoid taxes, placing the burden of government costs on local settlers.
Also about this, in other words
- The Audit Error That Almost Sent a Clerk to Prison
A tragic mix-up of names and a hurried stamp by an overworked clerk led to a major forgery indictment against a Seattle county employee.
- A Forger's Mind Was Ruined by Opium, Cocaine and Cigarettes
Prosecuting Attorney James F. Miller told a Seattle court that H. Miller, an electrician addicted for a decade, was not responsible for passing a forged order.
- The Grain Thief's Defense
An accused thief avoids conviction by arguing that his alleged crime was actually an attempt to settle a debt.