Thursday, March 6, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
A federal jury in November convicted Rochelle K. Whatley, 36, of St. Joseph and J. Victor Whatley, 38, of Las Vegas, of wire fraud conspiracy. Mrs. Whatley also was convicted of money laundering.
U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan on Wednesday sentenced Mrs. Whatley to five years and three months in prison without parole, followed by three years of supervision. Her husband received five years without parole and three years of supervision. The couple also was ordered to pay $220,908 in restitution.
The Whatleys were among 11 people charged in Mrs. Whatley's operation of Midwest Marketing Concepts Inc., a telemarketing firm that from May 1993 to March 1994 operated in St. Joseph, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Seven people pleaded guilty in the scheme, and two were acquitted.
The victims were told that if they made a donation to a "Say No to Drugs" campaign - usually $500 to $1,000 - they would be eligible for prizes and could have anti-drug materials sent to the school, church or other institution of their choice.
Investigators said the anti-drug materials often were not sent and very few prizes, none valued more than $75, were distributed to donors. The scheme operators pocketed most of the $610,000 they collected.
The FBI identified victims in 19 states, none in Missouri or Kansas.
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