Two people arrested in a gold bar sting operation in Kenosha County are among 10 defendants indicted in a federal investigation into an alleged fraud and money-laundering scheme, according to a Nov. 5 announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Florida announced that Reese Lightner, 39, of Pennsylvania, and Carissa Snow, 37, of DeLand, Florida, were indicted along with eight other people.
Each defendant faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the DOJ said. The charges stem from an alleged scheme involving gold bars and other assets.
The indictment names seven additional defendants from California: Gurpinder Singh, 20; Yashdeep Singh, 20; Kuljeet Singh, 22; Navjeet Singh, 25; Akashdeep Singh, 25; Harshdeep Kaur, 24; and Manpreet Singh, 26.
All 10 defendants appeared for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Their federal jury trial is scheduled for Dec. 30, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor, according to the DOJ.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count.
The indictment followed an investigation involving the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Gainesville Police Department, Racine County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and Bakersfield Police Department.
Kenosha County sting led to arrests
Snow and Lightner were arrested in late May at the Benson Corners convenience store in Kenosha County after Racine County deputies coordinated a sting operation with a Burlington couple who prosecutors say had been targeted in a gold bar scam.
The victims had already handed over more than $620,000 in gold and were preparing to deliver another $380,000 when law enforcement intervened, according to reporting by WISN 12 News and its Nov. 9 follow-up.
WISN reported that video from the operation showed the victims meeting a person near the convenience store to hand over a package before deputies moved in and arrested Snow and Lightner.
According to the criminal complaint described by WISN, the victims' earlier gold deliveries included nearly $48,000 on March 12, more than $346,000 on April 7 and $197,000 on May 1.
The victims told investigators that the alleged scam began with a message claiming their Amazon account or payment card had been compromised. After calling a number provided in the message, they were transferred to someone who claimed to be a federal official investigating identity theft. The caller allegedly used the name Benjamin Wiseman and provided a Federal Trade Commission reference number, WISN reported.
The victims were led to believe they could protect their assets by liquidating them and converting the money into gold for couriers to collect.
Federal investigation involves multiple agencies
The federal case involves investigators from several jurisdictions, including Wisconsin, California and Florida.
The DOJ identified the investigation as a Homeland Security Task Force investigation. The participating agencies included federal investigators from the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as local law enforcement agencies.
The federal indictment is separate from the state charges Snow and Lightner face in Wisconsin. The DOJ announcement identifies the 10 federal defendants and the charges against them, but does not establish that every person named in the indictment was involved in the specific scheme targeting the Burlington couple.
Wisconsin cases continue
Snow and Lightner also face state-level proceedings stemming from the Kenosha County arrests. WISN reported that both were charged in Racine County with felony theft by false representation.
The two appeared in Racine County court Nov. 9 from federal custody in Florida. Commissioner Sally Hoelzel held Snow over for trial. Snow's attorney declined to comment to WISN after the hearing.
Lightner initially indicated he planned to represent himself but later said he would wait for a public defender. He told the court that his notes had been taken from him while in custody and that he believed the criminal complaint contained errors and omissions.
Court records cited by WISN showed the public defender's office had made nearly 700 attempts to find Lightner an attorney. WISN also reported that Lightner faces a separate felony charge in Dane County involving a similar alleged scheme.
How to report a suspected gold bar scam
The Federal Trade Commission warns that legitimate government officials will never instruct people to buy gold bars or other precious metals and deliver them to someone to protect their money.
People who believe they have been targeted by a scam can report suspected internet-enabled fraud to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The federal indictment contains allegations, not proof of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
