Department of Justice

	United States Attorney Gregory G. Lockhart Southern District of Ohio
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  JANUARY 9, 2008 http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ohs		CONTACT: Fred Alverson 614-469-5715 FAX: 614-469-5503

OWNER OF "ZIPMOUSE" SENTENCED TO 15 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR FRAUD, MONEY LAUNDERING
Ordered to pay $520,000 in restitution to victims

CINCINNATI - Keith Lawrence, age 34, of Cleves, Ohio, was sentenced in United States District Court here today to 15 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for defrauding investors in Internet-based companies he created.

Gregory G. Lockhart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and Keith L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation Cincinnati Field District announced the sentence handed down today by Senior United States District Judge Herman Weber.

Lawrence pleaded guilty on July 26, 2007 to a two-count information charging him with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

According to a statement of facts filed with Lawrence's plea, Lawrence launched Zipmouse.com in April 2005 as an Internet search service that made money by selling advertising space to companies who listed their websites listed on Zipmouse. Lawrence admitted that he began defrauding investors in July 2005 by deceiving them about the company's financial condition while soliciting investments in Zipmouse and two other companies Lawrence had created.

Lawrence told investors that one of the companies had developed a laser-based measuring system that would created a computer diagram of the space it measured. The other company was supposed to be developing an Internet-based gift-giving technology that allowed a giver to match gifts to a recipient's personality. Lawrence misled investors when he claimed that they could expect a "substantial" return on their investment because two well-known companies were planning to buy the products. In fact, neither of the companies had ever heard of the products.

Lawrence deposited money he received from investors into his personal bank accounts.

Judge Weber ordered Lawrence to pay $520,000 in restitution to investors he defrauded.

Lockhart commended the cooperative investigation conducted by IRS and FBI agents and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Dusing, who prosecuted the case, as well as Deputy Criminal Chief Anthony Springer who handled today's sentencing hearing.

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