Wednesday, Oct 27 2010, 5:33 pm

http://www.shelbystar.com/news/laundering-50970-money-prison.html

CHARLOTTE – Two Gaston County men who earlier pleaded guilty to federal money laundering conspiracy charges were sentenced to prison.

Donald Eugene Bess, 53, of Bessemer City, pleaded guilty Dec. 7, 2009, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Ray Eugene Rohm, 60, of Dallas, pleaded guilty Sept. 9, 2009, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on June 7, 2010.

Chief District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. handed down both sentences, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

In addition, Conrad ordered each defendant to forfeit all property involved in the money laundering conspiracy and to pay restitution.

Rohm was ordered to pay $842,288 in restitution and Bess was ordered to pay $549,789 in restitution, according to the release.

The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the North Carolina Department of Insurance handled the investigation.

Rohm owned and operated Rohm Enterprises, a window treatment services business and Bess operated a body shop business named Bess Used Car Wrecker Service, according to court records.

From April 2001 to January 2007, Bess and Rohm deposited $1.2 million in fraudulently obtained checks generated by a former claims manager of Farm Bureau Insurance of North Carolina, identified as “H.W.S,” into their respective business accounts, according to court records.

Although Rohm and Bess were aware that “H.W.S.” obtained the checks through an insurance fraud scheme, each deposited the checks on his behalf and collected a fee from “H.W.S.” for conducting the financial transaction, according to the release.