SCRANTON - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Richard J. Harley, of Shawnee on Delaware, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in a 23-count indictment charging fifteen counts of wire fraud, two counts of bankruptcy fraud, five counts of making false statements on bankruptcy schedules, and one count of bank fraud.

The Indictment alleges that Harley defrauded various investors and attempted to defraud various financial institutions by soliciting money based on false claims of ownership of ten million barrels of oil in Texas worth in excess of $700 billion, as well as claiming authority over Federal Reserve instruments worth more than $1 billion.

The investigation commenced after one of Harley's victims sued Harley in the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County and obtained a judgment against Harley and Harley's company, RJH, for over $1 million. Further investigation by the FBI revealed that several other individuals were defrauded by Harley and that Harley had attempted to deposit two fraudulent $500 million checks into various financial institutions in an effort to secure loans.

The Indictment also alleges that Harley filed three petitions in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2010, 2011, and 2012, making various false statements relating to his assets and liabilities, as well as RJH's assets and liabilities, in an attempt to cover-up his schemes.

Harley faces up to twenty years' imprisonment on each wire fraud charge, up to five years' imprisonment on the bankruptcy fraud and false statements charges, and up to thirty years' imprisonment on the bank fraud charge. Arraignment on the charges will occur at a later date to be set by the Court.