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Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Grandparent Scam
A Connecticut man was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a grandparent scam that targeted elderly victims in Wisconsin. Matthew Ramos-Soto, 27, Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced on April 4, 2024, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson. Ramos-Soto was ordered to pay restitution.
Ramos-Soto was part of a network of individuals perpetrating related grandparent schemes across the United States. Coconspirators operating outside the United States called elderly victims posing as a relative or relative’s attorney. Victims were told that their relative had been arrested for causing an accident that severely injured or killed another person. Victims were asked to provide bail money in cash so their relative could be released immediately.
Once victims obtained the funds, a courier posing as a bail bondsman picked up the funds from the victims’ residences. Defendant Ramos-Soto was one of the couriers posing as a bail bondsman. Between October 24, 2022, and October 28, 2022, Ramos-Soto and the other couriers picked up more than $250,000 from victims throughout Wisconsin. Law enforcement was able to identify Ramos-Soto and he was ultimately arrested attempting to pick up money from a victim in Ottawa County, Michigan, on June 28, 2023.
A subsequent search of Ramos-Soto’s cellphone data showed that from October 11, 2022, through his arrest on June 28, 2023, he picked up money from victims in 18 different locations around the United States. Additional federal cases against this fraud network have been brought in the District of Vermont, District of Rhode Island, Southern District of California, Western District of Pennsylvania, Central District of Illinois, and the Western District of Kentucky.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson described the crime as “cruel and devastating,” acknowledging the significant financial and emotional impact on the victims. Judge Peterson also said that with the sentence, he hoped to deter Ramos-Soto and others from engaging in these types of schemes in the future. “Unfortunately, scams targeting the elderly or vulnerable are proliferating,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea.
The charge against Ramos-Soto was the result of an investigation led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, following a Statewide Crime Alert by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office that connected several investigations across Wisconsin. The victims in this case were targeted with scams that asked them to provide bail money in cash. If you suspect fraud has occurred or been attempted, report it to authorities so that those who commit fraud can be identified.
The U.S. Justice operates the National Elder Fraud Hotline which can be reached at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), which is staffed by case managers who provide personalized support to callers. Wisconsin residents can also contact their local police department or the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-833-586-0107.
Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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