Trappe man pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges

A Trappe man is now facing two decades in prison and will have to repay more than $750,000, after he reportedly took investment money from others, to benefit himself.

The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland announced on Tuesday that 38-year-old Aaron Seltzer, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, after he converted funds that were intended to be invested in real estate, for his own personal use.

According to the plea agreement, between January 2008 through 2010, Seltzer, a licensed Maryland attorney who’s office was based out of Crofton, Maryland, diverted money intended for investments, and used it for his own benefit. In one instance, Seltzer attempted to sell an investor 45% of an Anne Arundel County real estate company, claiming that he owned 100% of the stock, when in-fact he did not. He took $92,000 for that transaction, which all went to him.

In all, Seltzer took $768,242 through seven fraudulent transactions, which he will now have to repay through restitution. Seltzer has since been disbarred, and is now facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud. He will be sentenced on April 10th, 2015.