ATLANTA – In a shocking display of greed, Silvia Sanchez Valverde, Rodolfo Orozco Aguilar, Priscilla Sibaja, Daniel Sibaja, and Elpelice Figueroa Rosales have pleaded guilty to conspiracies to commit mail fraud and money laundering for their roles in a $3.5 million sweepstakes scam that targeted the elderly.
The scam, which operated from February 2016 through September 2017, saw the defendants contact elderly victims via phone, telling them they had won a sweepstakes or lottery. However, the victims were then duped into paying various expenses, such as taxes and fees, in order to receive their winnings.
According to U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak, the victims were directed to pay the expenses to various companies controlled by the defendants, including J.G. Services, RF Financial Services, and Master Builders. The victims would then mail payments via personal and cashier’s checks to addresses linked to mailboxes rented by the defendants.
The defendants deposited the checks, totaling over $3.5 million, into their bank accounts and then transferred the majority of the funds to Costa Rican bank accounts.
“These defendants stole the life savings of dozens of elderly victims and received more than $3.5 million,” said U.S. Attorney Pak. “These schemes unfortunately are all too common and citizens should be wary of contests that require upfront payments to receive a prize.”
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Cassandra J. Schansman prosecuting the case.
The defendants will appear before U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May for sentencing as follows:
Rodolfo Orozco Aguilar, 44, of Costa Rica is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.
Daniel Sibaja, 28, of Buford, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
Elpelice Figueroa Rosales, 62, of Buford, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2018, at 10:00.
Silvia Sanchez Valverde, 47, of Buford, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.
Priscilla Sibaja, 21, of Buford, Georgia is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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