Investigations

On August 14, 2017, Elliot Campbell was sentenced in U.S. District Court, London, KY, for his role in a conspiracy to defraud shipping brokers. He was sentenced to 56 months’ incarceration, 36 months’ supervised release, and ordered to pay a joint restitution amount of $136,410.87 with his co-defendants, Melinda Campbell and Bryan Napier. In March 2016, a jury convicted Elliott Campbell—co-owner of several trucking companies operating under Catts Auto Sales, Chavies, KY—on six counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion.

 

Between October 2010 and February 2012, Elliot Campbell conspired with his wife, co-owner Melinda Campbell, and Napier, a company dispatcher, to defraud shipping brokers by agreeing to transport cargo loads for a certain price. They then demanded additional payments before delivery, essentially holding the cargo hostage. When the shipping brokers filed complaints, the Campbells and Napier organized new trucking companies and used aliases to continue their scheme. In violation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements, they did not reveal that they were associated with other FMCSA-regulated companies when they registered the new trucking companies.

 

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation jointly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from FMCSA.