Six Dubuque, Iowa residents are behind bars after a ruthless fraud scheme that ripped off more than 250 elderly victims across the U.S. On March 1, 2018, Tobey Hines, 33, Tiffany Reynolds, 33, Joshua Willis, 21, Payton McCarville, 23, Morgan Cornell, 21, and Paul Chase, 34, were sentenced to federal prison for orchestrating a call-and-wire scam built on lies and fear. The fraud exploited grandparents and aging family members with a cold, rehearsed script: your loved one is in jail—send money now.
The callers never made direct contact, but the Dubuque crew pulled the strings from behind the scenes. While others made the terrifying phone calls claiming a relative had been arrested, Hines, Reynolds, Willis, McCarville, Cornell, and Chase handled the dirty work—receiving wire transfers via Western Union and MoneyGram from panicked seniors. They admitted in court they collected cash across Iowa, then funneled it further into the network. Hines and Reynolds went a step further, sending $119,985 in stolen funds to co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic between January and April 2016.
Tobey Hines got 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud on October 19, 2017. The court held him accountable for nearly $120,000 in losses from at least 17 victims. He was ordered to pay $47,059.94 in restitution. Tiffany Reynolds, 33, received 19 months and $37,587 in restitution despite a record stained with OWI and assault convictions. Joshua Willis, 21, was sentenced to 23 months and ordered to pay $64,302.80 after the court tied him to over $60,000 in losses from 26 victims—despite his own history of violent offenses.
Payton McCarville, 23, got 8 months and $39,369.31 in restitution after admitting responsibility for nearly $40,000 stolen from 13 seniors. Morgan Cornell, 21, was sentenced to 14 months and must repay $33,129.60 for her role in stealing over $30,000 from 15 victims. Paul Chase, 34, received 15 months in prison after a November 20, 2017, guilty plea to wire fraud. All six admitted they never dialed the victims, but their role in collecting and moving the cash sealed their fate.
The scam left a trail of shame and broken trust. More than 250 families were targeted. Total losses topped $750,000. Victims—many of them alone, scared, and willing to do anything to help a grandchild—were drained emotionally and financially. The DOJ didn’t mince words: these were predators who weaponized love and fear for profit.
“The perpetrators of this scheme shamelessly preyed upon vulnerable individuals in our society by exploiting their generosity,” said U.S. Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to victimize and financially exploit the elderly.” For the Dubuque six, the cost of that exploitation is years in federal prison—and a debt that can’t be measured in dollars alone.
Related Federal Cases
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- Dubuque Controller Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud & Tax Fraud · Iowa
- Jamaican National Ricardo Fredrick Smith Charged in Elder Fraud Scheme · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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