The grandparent scam: 11 Dominicans implicated in operation

Santo Domingo.- The US Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Tuesday that sixteen individuals have been indicted for orchestrating a scam originating from the Dominican Republic, targeting numerous elderly Americans and involving millions of dollars.

Among the accused are eleven Dominicans facing a total of nineteen charges, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as money laundering.

According to the DOJ, the defendants were involved in a sophisticated scheme operated from a call center in the Dominican Republic, specifically targeting elderly individuals residing in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

The scam typically began with “openers” contacting the elderly, posing as their grandchildren or other relatives in distress, and soliciting financial assistance to resolve purported emergencies, such as car accidents. Utilizing advanced technology to mask their origins, the scam operators created the illusion that the calls were originating from US-based phone numbers.

Once the victims were convinced, additional individuals, known as “closers,” assumed various personas, including defense attorneys, law enforcement officers, or court personnel, persuading the victims to provide substantial sums of cash to aid their purported family members. The victims were often instructed to hand over the cash to “messengers,” who would visit their homes, using false identities and providing fake receipts.

If found guilty, the defendants could face up to twenty years in prison for each count, along with substantial fines.

Prosecutor Arun G. Rao emphasized the DOJ’s commitment to identifying and prosecuting individuals involved in such schemes, particularly those targeting vulnerable consumers, regardless of their location.

The indicted individuals from the Dominican Republic include Juan Rafael Parra Arias, Nefy Vladimir Vine Arias, Nelson Rafael Gonzalez Acevedo, Rafael Ambiorix Rodriguez Guzman, Michael Angel Fortune Solano, Felix Samuel Reynoso Ventura, Carlos Javier Estevez, Louis Junior Rodriguez Serrano, Michael Angel Vasquez, Jovanni Antonio Rosario Garcia, and Jose Ismael Dilone Rodriguez.

Additionally, Endy José Torres Morán, Ivan Alexander Inoa Suero, Jhonny Cepeda, Ramón Hurtado, and Yuleisy Roque, all residents of New York, are accused of serving as couriers in the scam.

Source: EFE