Michael Tagle Santos, 34, and Cherry Mae De Los Reyes-Santos, 28, both of Tucson, Arizona, were sentenced yesterday for running a calculated financial scam against a 73-year-old homebound victim they were hired to care for. U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps handed down a 33-month prison term to Santos and 16 months to his wife, De Los Reyes-Santos, marking the end of a five-year scheme that bled an elderly, disabled man dry.
Between 2013 and 2018, while serving as live-in caregivers, the married couple systematically looted the victim’s accounts through unauthorized transfers disguised as wage advances, gifts, and fake reimbursements for medical and grocery expenses. Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud, admitting he fabricated records to cover the thefts. De Los Reyes-Santos, fully aware the transactions were fraudulent, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony — knowingly shielding a crime.
The stolen funds weren’t tucked away — they were flaunted. The couple blew the money on luxury cars, lavish trips to Las Vegas, high-end jewelry, and extensive home remodeling. While their victim sat isolated and dependent, Santos and De Los Reyes-Santos lived large off his life savings, exploiting a position of trust with cold precision.
Judge Zipps didn’t just impose prison time — she ordered full restitution, a rare and fitting demand in cases of this nature. The court recognized the profound betrayal: these weren’t opportunistic thieves. They were caregivers who weaponized their proximity to a vulnerable man, turning compassion into a criminal enterprise.
The investigation was a joint effort by the United States Secret Service and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, agencies that followed the digital and financial trail left behind by the pair’s reckless spending. Evidence included bank records, falsified receipts, and testimony from financial institutions that raised red flags too late.
Prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, in Tucson. The case, CR-20-2707-TUC-JGZ, stands as a grim reminder: elder abuse isn’t always physical. Sometimes it’s a bank statement stripped clean by the very hands meant to protect. # # #
Related Federal Cases
- Santos, De Los Reyes-Santos Jailed in Elder Care Fraud · Arizona
- Michael Boyce Gets 5 Years for $3.2M Fraud Scheme · Delaware
- Elaine Monique Zavala-Charres Pleads Guilty to $260K IRS Fraud Scheme · New York
- TRICARE Scheme Nets 10: $100M Fraud Uncovered · Texas
- Leschyshyn Sentenced for $23M Fraud Scheme · Colorado
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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