Dominican Republic nationals charged under ‘grandparent scam’

NEW JERSEY, (CMC):

Three nationals from the Dominican Republic have been extradited to the United States and have appeared in court on charges relating to their participation in a sprawling “grandparent scam” that defrauded elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.

Juan Rafael Parra Arias, also known as Yofre, 41; Miguel Angel Vasquez, also known as Miguel Disla, 24; and Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34, are among 11 Dominican nationals charged in a 19-count indictment filed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey and unsealed on April 29.

Following their initial appearance, the court ordered the three men detained pending trial.

The extradition of Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez follows that of their co-conspirators Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, also known as Max Morgan, 59, and Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, also known as Fili and Filly the Kid, 37, who appeared in a Newark federal court on July 22 to answer the indictment.

According to the indictment, Parra Arias, Vasquez, Dilone Rodriguez and their co-conspirators engaged in a long-running “grandparent” or “family in need of bail” scam against hundreds of seniors across the United States, including in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Parra Arias is alleged to have led a network of call centres in Santiago, Dominican Republic, while Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez worked in these centres to recruit co-conspirators in the United States.

As detailed in court filings, members of the conspiracy referred to as “openers” called elderly victims in the United States and impersonated the victims’ children, grandchildren or other close relatives.

The call centres used technology to make it appear that the calls were coming from inside the United States. Typically, the victim was told that their grandchild had been in a car accident, was arrested in connection with an accident, and needed help.

Once openers tricked victims into believing their loved ones were in dire trouble, others working at the call centres, known as “closers,” allegedly impersonated defence attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced victims to provide thousands of dollars in cash to help their loved ones.

The cash was typically retrieved by couriers, including those recruited and dispatched by Parra Arias, Vasquez, and Dilone Rodriguez, from the victims’ homes, or mailed by victims at the direction of the closers.

Parra Arias, Vasquez and Dilone Rodriguez each face multiple charges, including mail- and wire-fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count, a maximum fine of US$250,000 for each count of mail and wire fraud, and a maximum fine of US$500,000 for money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.