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A Florida man was sentenced right this moment to 133 months in jail for his position in a global telemarketing scheme orchestrated from a name heart in Costa Rica that defrauded greater than 400 victims — lots of whom have been aged — in america out of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.Manuel Mauro Chavez, 32, of Hollywood, was convicted at trial in July 2021 within the Western District of North Carolina of 1 rely of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one rely of conspiracy to commit worldwide cash laundering, and 6 counts of worldwide cash laundering. In accordance with courtroom paperwork and proof introduced at trial, Chavez was a U.S.-based participant in a fraudulent scheme wherein telemarketers primarily based in Costa Rica falsely posed as U.S. authorities officers and contacted victims in america to inform them they’d gained a considerable “sweepstakes” prize, however earlier than accumulating this supposed prize, they wanted to make a sequence of up-front funds to cowl purported taxes or different charges. After deceiving victims out of their cash, Chavez transmitted these funds from america for the advantage of the decision heart and others concerned within the scheme in Costa Rica.In two associated issues, Mark Raymond Oman, 38, of Lengthy Seashore, Washington, was sentenced on Nov. 17, 2022, to 3 years and one month in jail, and Paul Andy Stiep, 30, of Miami, was sentenced on Dec. 20, 2022, to seven years in jail. Oman labored on the name heart soliciting victims and picked up sufferer funds in Costa Rica, whereas Stiep transmitted victims’ funds from america for the advantage of the decision heart in Costa Rica.Assistant Lawyer Basic Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Division’s Legal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Legal Investigative Division, Performing Particular Agent in Cost Michael Scherck of the FBI Charlotte Area Workplace, Inspector in Cost Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Atlanta Division, and Particular Agent in Cost Bryant Jackson of the IRS Legal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Area Workplace made the announcement.The FBI, USPIS, and IRS-CI investigated the case.Trial Attorneys Joshua DeBold and Della Sentilles of the Legal Division’s Fraud Part prosecuted the case.The division’s intensive and broad-based efforts to fight elder fraud search to halt the widespread losses seniors endure from fraud schemes. The most effective technique for prevention, nonetheless, is by sharing details about the assorted varieties of elder fraud schemes with relations, pals, neighbors, and different seniors who can use that data to guard themselves.In the event you or somebody is age 60 or older and has been a sufferer of economic fraud, assist is offered on the Nationwide Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Division of Justice hotline, managed by the Workplace for Victims of Crime, is staffed by skilled professionals who present customized assist to callers by assessing the wants of the sufferer and figuring out related subsequent steps. Case managers will establish acceptable reporting businesses, present data to callers to help them in reporting, join callers instantly with acceptable businesses, and supply sources and referrals, on a case-by-case foundation. Reporting is step one. Reporting may also help authorities establish those that commit fraud and reporting sure monetary losses attributable to fraud as quickly as potential can improve the probability of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days per week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and different languages can be found.
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