HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A California man was sentenced to federal prison after helping conduct a multi-million dollar fraud scheme against more than 15 victims.
Richard Patterson, 44, was sentenced in Hawaii Monday to 68 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, said Hawaii U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson.
Patterson was convicted of conspiring to commit wire fraud and failing to appear for a court hearing. He was ordered to pay $2,030,000 in restitution to the victims.
How the scheme worked
Patterson worked with two other co-conspirators, Dashawn Hill and Judy Ramos, said the U.S. Department of Justice.
They carried out an “advanced payment scheme” by soliciting victims to invest between $5,000 and $550,000.
The three claimed they would use the money to pay fees for financial products that would generate risk-free returns of 200 to 1,000 percent, the DOJ said.
Instead, officials said they used the money to cover living expenses, travel, entertainment, and other personal costs.
Patterson lived a millionaire’s lifestyle, renting a luxury condominium in Ala Moana, buying luxury goods, and traveling, said the DOJ.
Patterson also operated under the false name Xavier Carter and a fake accent, pretending to be a foreign national.
Collectively, Patterson, Hill, and Ramos collected more than $2 million from their scheme.
Patterson flees to California
Patterson was due in court to appear for his federal fraud trial on Oct. 28, 2024. He failed to appear for two in-person court hearings and stopped communicating with his attorneys.
He also refused to travel to Hawaii and fled to Southern California, said the DOJ.
A warrant was issued for Patterson’s arrest. He was eventually taken into custody and brought back to Hawaii.
Plea agreements signed
Patterson signed a plea agreement in August 2025, admitting to the charges against him.
Ramos and Hill also admitted to certain crimes by signing a plea agreement.
They are scheduled to be sentenced on May 13 and June 2, respectively.
The FBI investigated the case. Hawaii Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese served as prosecutor.
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