Former student pleads guilty to fraud charges in violin scam
mercurynews.com | 5/6/08 | Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO—A former San Francisco State music student is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal fraud charges of bilking collectors out of valuable violins and bows.
Joseph Tang was in U.S. District Court in San Francisco Monday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and eight counts of mail fraud. In pleading guilty, the 28-year-old Tang admitted to posing as a broker so he could cheat collectors from as far away as Germany out of fine violins and bows.
The transactions dated from April 2002 through December 2006, and involved shipments or wire transfers from California, Minnesota, Delaware and Germany. Investigators are still trying to determine the value of the goods Tang stole, but prosecutors say it could top $400,000. Tang is due to be sentenced on Aug. 4.