FLORIDA—Attorney General Ashley Moody has announced the arrest of six people charged with stealing over $250,00 from senior citizens in Florida through grandparent scams.
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According to Ms Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP), the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Vice Intelligence Squad alleged that the defendants contacted seniors posing as lawyers or legal representatives of one of the victim’s grandchildren. The fraudsters reportedly told the targets that the grandchildren were arrested after hitting a pregnant woman with a vehicle and needed bail money, then arranged for the victim to send payment.
All six defendants, Jairo Izquierdo, Gennesis Castro, Wendy Angelina Ortiz, Ada Tido, Wandy Castro and Olfa Cornielle, face multiple first-degree felonies, including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, criminal use of personal identification, and more.
“These fraudsters know that most grandparents would do anything to help a grandchild in need, and through a convincing imposter scheme, they used fear and family to extort Florida seniors—stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars,” said Ms Moody.
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“Working with our great law enforcement partners in South Florida, we were able to shut down this far-reaching grandparent scheme and now six fraudsters will have to answer for their crimes.”
According to the OSP, after telling the targets the falsified story about the grandchildren in jail, the fraudsters pressured seniors to provide bail money. The investigation reportedly revealed the defendants directed the victims to obtain the bail amount in cash and then place it into a box to be picked up by a courier.
The couriers—unknowing ride-share drivers booked by the criminals—are said to have picked up the cash and transported the money back to the scammers at an arranged rendezvous spot.
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In a few instances, the scammers reportedly contacted the same victim multiple times, pressuring for more cash. In one instance, a Palm Bay victim made an initial bond payment of $9,000, but the alleged fraudsters reportedly told the victim that the pregnant woman miscarried, and the grandchild required an additional $18,000 because authorities upgraded the charges.
According to the OSP, the defendants then told the same victim the baby’s father attacked the senior’s grandson for causing the miscarriage, and during the course of the attack, the grandchild elbowed a police officer, causing an additional $20,000 needed for bail, as well as $7,500 in court fees. The victim is said to have paid the fraudsters more than $54,000. Nearly identical events allegedly happened to a Melbourne victim, who reportedly paid $53,000 to the criminal group.
In another case, a Sarasota victim sent $8,000, and the alleged fraudsters reportedly called back the next day, saying the pregnant woman lost the child and requested another $4,000 for bail. The day after that, the defendants are said to have claimed the grandson owed medical bills due to the accident and required another $1,700.
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A victim in Pompano reportedly paid $30,000 for bail and later sent an additional $7,000 because the alleged fraudsters claimed the pregnant woman died and the bond increased.
The OSP said the defendants preyed upon seniors in multiple counties, including Brevard, Broward, Lee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Sarasota.
Several law enforcement agencies partnered together on the investigation. They include the Miami-Dade Police Department, Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boca Raton Police Department, North Port Police Department, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Bay Police Department, Jupiter Police Department, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and West Palm Beach Police Department.
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“I am immensely proud of the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Vice Intelligence Squad, for their exceptional collaboration with the Florida Attorney General, and federal agencies in successfully apprehending individuals involved in extorting the elderly population. Their dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to protecting our community’s most vulnerable population are truly commendable,” said Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels.
Ms Moody’s OSP will prosecute this case.
