Feurtado, Bouanane, Gutierrez Indicted in $250K Grandparent Scam

Three con artists from Nevada and California are facing federal charges for running a ruthless grandparent scam that swindled at least $250,000 from elderly victims across Western Pennsylvania. Roderick Feurtado, 54, of Las Vegas, NV 89166; Tarek Bouanane, 45, of Las Vegas, NV 89139; and Roberto Gutierrez, 49, of Reseda, CA 91335, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The scheme, launched in September 2021, relied on fear, deception, and the isolation of senior citizens. Posing as attorneys, members of the conspiracy cold-called elderly targets claiming a grandchild had been arrested and needed immediate cash for bail and legal fees. The callers created panic, often instructing victims not to tell anyone—ensuring silence and compliance.

Feurtado, Bouanane, and Gutierrez didn’t stay on the phone. They went on the ground. While some members kept victims on the line, Bouanane and Gutierrez showed up in person, masquerading as couriers or bail bondsmen, and collected cash directly from shaken seniors at their homes. The operation was slick, mobile, and calculated to exploit trust and desperation.

Investigators say the scam netted at least $250,000 across the Western District of Pennsylvania and other locations. The money moved fast, the players stayed hidden—until now. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police spent months tracking the network, following financial trails and phone records to dismantle the ring.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting the case. Under federal sentencing guidelines, actual time served will hinge on the severity of the fraud and the defendants’ criminal histories—if any are found.

An indictment is not a conviction. Roderick Feurtado, Tarek Bouanane, and Roberto Gutierrez are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But for the elderly victims left shaken and stripped of life savings, the emotional toll may never be repaid.