Financial Crime World

Major Dismantling of “Grandparent Scam” Network: 16 Individuals Charged for Defrauding Hundreds of Elderly Americans

Arrested Individuals

  • Juan Rafael Parra Arias (aka Yofre), 41, Dominican Republic

  • Nefy Vladimir Parra Arias (aka Keko), 39, Dominican Republic

  • Nelson Rafael Gonzalez Acevedo (aka Nelson Tech), 35, Dominican Republic

  • Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman (aka Max Morgan), 59, Dominican Republic

  • Miguel Angel Fortuna Solano (aka Botija, aka Boti), 41, Dominican Republic

  • Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura (aka Fili, aka Filly the Kid), 37, Dominican Republic

  • Carlos Javier Estevez, 45, Dominican Republic

  • Louis Junior Rodriguez Serrano (aka Junior), 27, Dominican Republic

  • Miguel Angel Vasquez (aka Miguel Disla), 24, Dominican Republic

  • Jovanni Antonio Rosario Garcia (aka Porky, aka Chop), 45, Dominican Republic

  • Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez, 34, Dominican Republic

  • Endy Jose Torres Moran

  • Ivan Alexander Inoa Suero

  • Jhonny Cepeda

  • Ramon Hurtado

  • Yuleisy Roque

Indictment and Charges

In a coordinated operation between various law enforcement agencies, 16 individuals were charged for their involvement in a widespread “grandparent scam” that allegedly defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.

Indictment

  • Juan Rafael Parra Arias, Nefy Vladimir Parra Arias, and Gonzalez Acevedo orchestrated the fraud [1]
  • Employed deceitful tactics, such as posing as grandchildren or other close relatives, and tricked elderly victims into believing their loved ones were in dire distress [1]
  • Call centers operated out of the Dominican Republic [1]
  • A technology was used to make the calls appear domestic [1]

Charges

Each of the charges in the indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines [2].

The Scheme

  1. Openers convinced victims that their loved ones required immediate financial assistance [1]
  2. ** closers** posed as court officers, lawyers, or police officers and urged victims to transfer thousands of dollars [1]
  3. Couriers collected cash from victims or facilitated the transfer of money [1]

U.S.-based Couriers

The five U.S.-based couriers, including the charged individuals, collected cash from victims’ homes using false names and provided victims with fake receipts or other signs of legitimate transactions [1].

Investigation and Contributions

The ongoing investigation involved:

  • Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York
  • Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch
  • U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey
  • Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division
  • FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch
  • New York Police Department

Press Statements

“Today, we announce a major dismantling of a transnational fraud scheme that callously targeted elderly victims. Through our partnerships and collaborative efforts with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice, we have put an end to this scam, which not only robbed victims of their hard-earned savings but also inflicted emotional harm.”

  • Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren B. McCormack, HSI New York

[1]: Indictment, Unsealed in Federal Court in Newark

[2]: Charges and allegations contained in the indictment and complaint are mere accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.