Dominican National Gets 61-Month Sentence for Phone Fraud Scheme

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE – Johnny Santiago Valdez Calderon, a 24-year-old dual citizen of the United States and the Dominican Republic, was handed a 61-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release on March 27, 2017, for masterminding a massive wire fraud and identity theft scheme.

In September 2016, Valdez Calderon pleaded guilty to assuming the identities of customers of a Tennessee-based insurance company that sold mobile phone policies. He managed to submit fraudulent online claims, leading the company to ship approximately 2,499 replacement cell phones to various addresses across the U.S. The scheme’s total value was estimated at $1,144,783.

The Tennessee native has been in custody since his September 11, 2015, arrest. Valdez Calderon was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,144,783.54.

This high-profile case was a joint effort by law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron Jones and Senior Counsel Anthony V. Teelucksingh from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section led the prosecution.

Valdez Calderon’s conviction serves as a stark reminder of the evolving nature of fraud in the digital age and the relentless pursuit of justice by federal authorities.