UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA 

SOUTH BEND DIVISION 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ) 

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INDICTMENT 

(17 counts) 

v. 

JAMES P. LEDONNE 

THE GRAND JURY CHARGES: 

18 U.S.C. § 1343 

18 U.S.C. § 1341 

18 U.S.C. § 1349 

18 U.S.C. § 2314 

18 U.S.C. § 157 

Counts 1-11 

(wire fraud) 

~ q n \J • I PH ... ~ If: i.-~ r 1 u 5: I , 

Defendant James P. LeDonne operated and was a principal in several 

companies that advertised and represented that they designed, manufactured, and 

sold mobile fiber optic splicing and testing units (also known as telecommunication 

laboratories). These mobile fiber optic/optical fiber splicing and testing units were 

part of trucks, vans, trailers and truck inserts. LeDonne utilized the following 

companies to execute a scheme to defraud victim purchasers of these mobile fiber 

optic splicing and testing units: Level 4 Technologies LLC; L6 Engineering Systems 

LLC; L&H Engineering & Design LLC; LeDonne Group Industries LLC; and LG 

Engineering & Design Inc. 

Joining lengths of optical fiber is more complex than joining electrical wire or 

cable. The ends of the fibers must be carefully cleaved, and then carefully spliced 

together with the cores perfectly aligned. A mechanical splice holds the ends of the 

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fibers together mechanically while fusion splicing uses heat to fuse the ends of the 

fibers together. 

LeDonne developed a scheme to defraud persons and companies who wanted 

to purchase and use mobile fiber optic splicingltesting units. LeDonne represented 

to prospective buyers that he could and would produce mobile fiber optic 

splicing/testing units that were part of trucks, vans, trailers and truck inserts. As 

part of his scheme, LeDonne demanded and obtained down payments from 

purchasers to secure an order for the assembly and manufacture of mobile fiber optic 

splicing/testing units. These down payments were most often 50% of the total 

purchase price of the units. 

LeDonne and his several companies then most often did not deliver the 

promised units. LeDonne and his representatives promised various delivery dates 

to victim purchasers that came and went without delivery of a mobile fiber optic 

splicing/testing unit. LeDonne communicated, including through interstate emails, 

various excuses for why the units were not delivered as represented and promised. 

These excuses were false and fraudulent. 

In fact, the companies operated by LeDonne had little to no real capacity to 

manufacture the mobile fiber optic splicing/testing units that were part of trucks, 

vans, trailers and truck inserts. To string victim purchasers along and to avoid 

having to issue refunds, LeDonne represented falsely that the units were in 

production and at times LeDonne utilized pictures of old mobile fiber optic splicing 

units to make purchasers believe that their units were actually being manufactured 

and assembled when in fact they were not. 

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As part of the fraud scheme, LeDonne used a series of bankruptcies to avoid 

having to refund monies to victim purchasers. LeDonne would then create a new 

company and victimize additional prospective mobile fiber optic splicing unit 

purchasers through the new company. Level 4 Technologies LLC filed bankruptcy 

on 2008. L6 Engineering Systems LLC filed bankruptcy in December 2010. LG 

Engineering & Design Inc. filed bankruptcy in December 2013. As part of his fraud 

scheme, LeDonne made false statements and caused others to make false statements 

in those bankruptcy proceedings. 

As part of the fraud scheme, LeDonne obtained a trailer already built and 

delivered to a customer in 2007 in Indiana under the guise of a recall in first half of 

2012. LeDonne then delivered this used (stolen) trailer to an unsuspecting LG 

Engineering & Design Inc. customer in Georgia in the summer of 2012. As part of 

the fraud, LeDonne issued a new vehicle identification number for the stolen trailer 

so the Georgia customer could register and plate the trailer. 

In or around 2008 through 2014, in the Northern District of Indiana, and 

elsewhere, 

JAMES P. LEDONNE, 

defendant herein, having devised a scheme and artifice to defraud and for obtaining 

money by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, 

caused to be transmitted by means of wire and radio communication in interstate 

commerce writings, signals, and sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme 

and artifice, as follows. 

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Count Date* Interstate wire item 

1 August 8,2011 Interstate bank wire $11,697.77 

2 November 28, 2011 Interstate bank wire $60,000 

3 August 27,2012 Interstate bank wire $22,500 

4 October 17, 2012 Email from James LeDonne 

5 October 22,2012 Interstate bank wire $19,250 

6 March 4, 2013 Interstate bank wire $34,750 

7 March 18, 2013 Interstate bank wire $14,725 

8 March 26, 2013 Email from James LeDonne 

9 July 30, 2013 Email from James LeDonne 

10 August 20,2013 Interstate bank wire $9,750 

11 September 11, 2013 Interstate bank wire $35,000 

* all dates on or about. 

In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. 

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THE GRAND JURY FURTHER CHARGES: 

Counts 12 - 14 

(mail fraud) 

The allegations of paragraphs 1 through 7 of Counts 1- 11 above are hereby 

incorporated as if set forth in full. 

In or around 2009 through 2013, in the Northern District of Indiana, and 

elsewhere, 

JAMES P. LEDONNE, 

defendant herein, having devised a scheme and artifice to defraud and for obtaining 

money by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, 

caused to be deposited matters and things to be sent and delivered by U.S. Postal 

Service and interstate carrier for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice, 

as follows. 

Count MailedlInterstate Courier item 

12 December 31, 2012 FedEx shipment of check for $84,500 

13 May 10, 2013 U.S. Postal mailing of $9,250 check 

14 May 28,2013 FedEx shipment of check for $32,625 

* all dates on or about. 

In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. 

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THE GRAND JURY FURTHER CHARGES: 

Count 15 

(conspiracy to commit fraud) 

In or around 2008 - 2013, in the Northern District of Indiana, and elsewhere, 

JAMES P. LEDONNE, 

defendant herein, conspired with other persons to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, 

in violation of federal law . 

In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. 

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THE GRAND JURY FURTHER CHARGES: 

Count 16 

(interstate transportation of stolen goods) 

In or around the summer of 2012, in the Northern District of Indiana, and 

elsewhere, 

JAMES P. LEDONNE, 

defendant herein, unlawfully transported and caused to be transported in interstate 

commerce from the State of Indiana to the State of Georgia stolen goods, that is, a 

fiber optic splicing trailer and tools/equipment, which were worth more than $5,000, 

knowing the same to have been stolen, converted, and taken by fraud. 

In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2314. 

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THE GRAND JURY FURTHER CHARGES: 

Count 17 

(bankruptcy fraud) 

In or around 2008 - 2014, in the Northern District of Indiana, and elsewhere, 

JAMES P. LEDONNE, 

defendant herein, knowingly and intentionally devised a scheme and artifice to 

defraud creditors of companies he controlled as well as the bankruptcy estates 

involved, bankruptcy trustees, and the Bankruptcy Court of money and property by 

means of false and fraudulent representations and while knowing the pretenses and 

promises he had made on behalf of and as the representative of four companies were 

false. For the purpose of executing that scheme, the defendant, acting on behalf of 

four companies, as their principal owner, officer and member, filed or caused to be 

filed, multiple voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (reorganization), under 

Title 11, United States Code (the Bankruptcy Code), which were later converted to 

Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation): Techline Engineering Inc., bankruptcy petition 

filed on September 5, 2008 in case no. 08-13016, and converted on February 9,2010; 

Level 4 Technologies LLC, bankruptcy petition filed on November 19, 2008 in case 

no. 08-14015, and converted on February 9,2010; L6 Systems LLC, bankruptcy 

petition filed on December 1, 2010 in case no. 10-15116, and converted on June 29, 

2011; and one voluntary petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy: LG Engineering & 

Design Inc., bankruptcy petition filed on December 18, 2013 in case no. 13-13669. 

The filing of a bankruptcy petition automatically stays (stops) the collection 

activities by creditors including civil legal proceedings. The object and intent of the 

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defendant's scheme and artifice was to fraudulently hinder, delay, and prevent 

payment to the creditors of Techline Engineering, Inc., Level 4 Technologies, LLC, L6 

Systems, LLC, and LG Engineering & Design, Inc. 

As part of the fraud scheme, the defendant misrepresented the true state of 

financial affairs with respect to the debtor companies. Among these false 

statements were misrepresentations made by the defendant at a Section 341 

creditors meeting on February 6,2014 regarding accounts receivable and other 

assets of LG Engineering & Design, Inc. as well as misrepresentations made by the 

defendant to bankruptcy trustees in the cases listed above. 

As part of the fl.'aud scheme, the defendant caused the debtor companies to 

falsely list and to omit assets of the debtor companies in the bankruptcy filings and 

further caused the debtor companies not to turnover to the bankruptcy trustee assets 

of the debtor companies. 

In violation of Title 18, United Stated Code, Section 157. 

Dated: May 14, 2014 

A TRUE BILL: 

sf Foreperson 

Grand Jury Foreperson 

DAVID CAPP 

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY 

sf Donald J. Schmid 

By: 

Donald J. Schmid 

Assistant United States Attorney 

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