California man sentenced to 51 months in prison after defrauding Amtrak, Trailways of more than $475,000

February 9, 2024

PHILADELPHIA — A California man was sentenced January 31, 2024, to 51 months in prison, two years’ supervised release, and was ordered to pay $475,910 in restitution for using stolen credit card information to defraud Amtrak and Trailways Transportation Systems.

Korey Wise, 48, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, after pleading guilty in May 2023 to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents, Wise devised a scheme focused on small businesses, specifically targeting businesses with owners who spoke English as a second language. Wise would call these businesses pretending to be a representative of a utility company calling to collect overdue bills, or posing as an official from a licensing board that oversaw nail salons. He would tell the business owners that they owed an inspection fee, and if the fee was paid over the telephone with a credit card, the fee would be reduced. Wise would then use the credit card information he collected from his victims to purchase travel reservations on carriers including Amtrak and Trailways. From January 2014 through May 2017, Wise fraudulently purchased approximately $475,910 worth of tickets from Amtrak and Trailways.

The Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Amtrak Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

Reports of fraud, waste, or abuse, including suspected pandemic relief fraud; criminal or unethical acts affecting Amtrak’s property or operations; or mismanagement in Amtrak programs or operations can be made 24 hours a day via the Amtrak OIG Hotline at 1-800-468-5469 or online at https://direc.to/hPAu.
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