Deryl Wright to Be Sentenced in $100K Elder Fraud Scheme

Deryl Wright, 42, of the 1400 block of Camden St. in Pekin, Illinois, is set to be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2018, after admitting to a two-year scam that stole nearly $100,000 from an elderly, vulnerable victim. The scheme, built on lies and manipulation, preyed on trust and desperation, funneling cash from an innocent senior into Wright’s pockets to fund his personal lifestyle.

Wright pleaded guilty on Nov. 22, 2017, to three counts of wire fraud, admitting he falsely claimed his father had died and that he was awaiting a large inheritance. He told the victim he needed short-term loans to cover taxes, processing fees, and emergencies—like fake arrests, hospital stays, and car accidents—so he could finally collect the non-existent check. In reality, no inheritance existed. The entire story was a fiction designed to bleed the victim dry.

Money was wired through Walmart locations in Pekin to out-of-state stores, a tactic meant to obscure the trail. Each time the victim hesitated, Wright spun new delays—bureaucratic snags, legal hurdles, vehicle breakdowns. The lies piled up as the dollars disappeared. By the time the ruse collapsed, the damage was done: nearly $100,000 stolen, a senior’s life savings vanished.

Indicted in September 2017, Wright has been in U.S. Marshals Service custody since his arrest on October 2, 2017. At sentencing, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. Federal prosecutors are pushing for full accountability in what they call a textbook case of elder exploitation.

This case is part of a sweeping national takedown led by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, targeting over 250 defendants in the largest coordinated action against elder fraud in U.S. history. Those cases collectively caused losses exceeding $500 million. ‘When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at the Department’s disposal,’ Sessions said.

The Pekin Police Department led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge prosecuting in the Peoria Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. Elder fraud victims are urged to report scams to the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or 877-FTC-HELP. More resources are available through the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov.