Robert Armstrong, 56, of Turnersville, New Jersey, has been charged with bank fraud and mail fraud after federal authorities alleged he tried to claim about $12 million from a bank and billed schools for books they never ordered.
According to the allegations, Armstrong used fake documents, including a power of attorney, to pursue roughly $12 million in unclaimed funds tied to a 2003 hedge fund investment. Investigators said the bank issued him a $2,806,524 cashier’s check, which he deposited at a branch in Sewell on Nov. 19, 2025. The bank declined the deposit because it could not verify the funds.
Armstrong also allegedly filed a claim for $9,251,641.71 with Texas, which denied it.
Bulk Mailings to Schools
Postal Inspector Michael Marro Jr. alleged that Armstrong paid for five bulk mailings containing more than 36,000 fake book invoices sent to schools across the U.S. and Canada between February and August 2026.
Marro wrote in the complaint that invoices provided by school officials were “nearly identical to the ones previously recovered during a prior investigation of Armstrong in 2014.”
At the time he was charged, Armstrong had deposited 43 checks of $263 each, totaling $11,309.
Prior Convictions
Armstrong had previously served two prison terms for mail scams. His first term, in late 2015, followed a school invoice scam that brought in $612,774. A 2020 sentence followed a medical supply invoice scam that brought in $214,495.
Armstrong was charged on Oct. 30 and arrested on Nov. 4. He remains in federal detention in Philadelphia.
