July 27, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 27, 2026) — USTelecom – The Broadband Association today underscored the critical role of the Industry Traceback Group (ITG) in supporting the federal investigation that led to the recent conviction of Barry Glenn Augustinsky, 55, of Poquoson, Virginia, on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, money laundering, unlawful monetary transactions, and obtaining information under false pretenses. A federal jury returned the conviction on July 21, 2026, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Augustinsky owned telecommunications companies that provided voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calling services. From 2018 through at least 2023, Augustinsky and the CEO of a Karachi, Pakistan-based call center used those VoIP services to place millions of fraudulent calls to consumers across the United States, falsely promising debt relief in order to induce victims – many of them elderly – into mailing personal checks to post office boxes Augustinsky controlled.
The ITG conducted tracebacks of illegal call traffic underlying the scheme, working to identify the originating source and entities that carried the calls across the network. An ITG representative also testified at the criminal trial to the important traceback work that happened in this case. That traceback work supported the efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, and IRS Criminal Investigation, which led the case alongside Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony C. Mozzi and Kristen S. Taylor.
“This is yet another example of the continuing impact of USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group in fighting back against scammers,” said Josh Bercu, Executive Director of the Industry Traceback Group and SVP of Policy at USTelecom. “When bad actors hide behind spoofed numbers and false fronts to scam Americans, the ITG’s ability to trace that call traffic back through the network gives law enforcement the evidence they need to bring the bad guys to justice. The message to scammers is simple: you can hide, but you cannot disappear. Traceback will find you.”
The ITG, administered by USTelecom, is the FCC-designated registered consortium for conducting private-led traceback of suspected unlawful robocalls. Working in partnership with voice service providers across the ecosystem, the ITG identifies the source of illegal and fraudulent call campaigns and refers findings to the Federal Communications Commission, state attorneys general, the Federal Trade Commission, and federal law enforcement agencies to support enforcement action.
Augustinsky faces up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2026.
About the Industry Traceback Group
The Industry Traceback Group is the private-led consortium, administered by USTelecom, that conducts traceback investigations to identify the source of illegal robocalls and fraudulent call campaigns on behalf of the American voice communications industry. The ITG works closely with the FCC, state attorneys general, the FTC, and federal law enforcement to combat illegal robocalling and protect consumers from telecommunications-enabled fraud.
About USTelecom
USTelecom – The Broadband Association is the premier trade association representing service providers and suppliers for the telecommunications industry.