Ukrainian man found guilty in wire fraud case

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Columbus County jury found a Ukrainian man guilty following a week-long trial that experienced multiple delays due to inclement weather.

Marko Stasiv, 27, was convicted of Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretense in Columbus County Superior Court and received an prison sentence of 8-19 months in the Department of Adult Corrections. Stasiv was also ordered to pay $14,987.45 in restitution to the fraud victim in the case.

The charge came about after a business in Whiteville alerted authorities about a fraudulent wire transfer that removed almost $15,000 from the business’s account in May 2012. An investigation into the incident revealed that Stasiv had accessed the company’s bank account remotely, issued a fraudulent wire to his own bank account, and withdrew the funds at various Wells Fargo branches in New York City where Stasiv was living at the time.

Although originally charged in 2012, Stasiv fled the country prior to being arrested. A break in the case occurred in April 2014 after Stasiv was detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City while attempting to re-enter the United States from Russia and transported back to Columbus County to face his criminal charge.

Jurors heard evidence from the owner of Nice Blends Corporation who made the discovery of the fraudulent money wire into a bank account setup by Stasiv in May 2012. They also heard testimony from a detective and the lead detetective who worked on the case.

The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after two days of witness testimony and three hours of deliberation.