This all sounds VERY plausible. It would take someone that has nerves of steel and the patience of Job to unravel. Like you said, hopefully someone already in law enforcement in conjunction with a very good lawyer and deep pockets. Something like this would take quite a few years to figure out.
It would take someone that has nerves of steel and the patience of Job to unravel
= = =
What was that case where someone noticed a couple of seconds of computer time that did not jive, and tracked it to a big problem?
I forgot the details. (IFTD)