STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Federal authorities charged 16 people — including five New Yorkers — in connection with a “grandparents scam” based in the Dominican Republic that allegedly stole millions of dollars from American seniors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation, which resulted in indictments against 11 men from the Dominican Republic and charges against five individuals in New York City, according to a news release from the agency.
The defendants participated in a long-running scam that operated from call centers in the Dominican Republic and mainly targeted seniors in the Northeast, according to the indictments, which were unsealed on Monday in federal court in Newark, N.J.
“Today’s announcement stems from the defendants’ alleged heartless targeting of elderly victims who were collectively tricked into handing over millions of dollars,” HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren McCormack said in the release.
“For their own selfish gain, these accused individuals threatened innocent Americans’ livelihoods, and robbed them of their precious time and any nest eggs they had secured for themselves.”
The New York City defendants were charged with wire fraud conspiracy for allegedly acting as “couriers” who picked up cash from victims in New York, New Jersey and other states. HSI identified those defendants as Endy Jose Torres Moran, 21, of Brooklyn; Ivan Alexander Inoa Suero, 32, of Manhattan; Jhonny Cepeda, 27, of Manhattan; Ramon Hurtado, 43, of Manhattan; and Yuleisy Roque, 21, of the Bronx.
Seniors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and other states were targeted by participants in the call centers, authorities said.
The investigation was coordinated with partners that included the U.S. Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Boston-New York Field Division, the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, and the NYPD.
FEDS DETAIL ‘GRANDPARENTS SCAM’
The news release detailed the alleged scam where members of the conspiracy, referred to as “openers,” called seniors in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren, or other close relatives. The call centers used technology to make it seem as though the calls were initiated inside the United States. Typically, victims were told that their grandchildren had been in a car accident, were arrested in connection with the crash and needed help.
Once “openers” tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in trouble, people known as “closers” impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones, authorities said.
According to charging documents, “closers” often instructed victims to hand the cash to couriers who then went to the victims’ homes to collect the money. Sometimes, closers told victims to send the cash by mail.
Call center “dispatchers” recruited and managed a network of U.S.-based “couriers.” Those U.S.-based “couriers” often used false names and provided fake receipts when they collected cash from their senior victims, prosecutors said.
The “couriers” then brought the cash to other members of the conspiracy, who sent the victims’ money to the Dominican Republic.
The suspects from the Dominican Republic face charges that include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
The news release identified the suspects from the Dominican Republic as:
- Juan Rafael Parra Arias, aka “Yofre,” 41;
- Nefy Vladimir Parra Arias, aka “Keko,” 39;
- Nelson Rafael Gonzalez Acevedo, aka “Nelson Tech,” 35;
- Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, aka “Max Morgan,” 59;
- Miguel Angel Fortuna Solano, aka “Botija,” aka “Boti,” 41;
- Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, aka “Fili,” aka “Filly The Kid,” 37;
- Carlos Javier Estevez, 45;
- Louis Junior Rodriguez Serrano, aka “Junior,” 27;
- Miguel Angel Vasquez, aka “Miguel Disla,” 24;
- Jovanni Antonio Rosario Garcia, aka “Porky,” aka “Chop,” 45;
- Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34.
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