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Westmoreland County Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud
In a case brought to light by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ronnell Taylor, Jr., a resident of Westmoreland County, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for his involvement in a wire fraud conspiracy.
According to the charges, Ronnell Taylor, Jr., 41, participated in an IRS impersonation fraud conspiracy involving call centers located in India from March 2016 to August 2017. The scheme targeted victims in the United States, who received recorded messages claiming to be from the IRS. The messages directed victims to call a U.S.-based telephone number to resolve the matter, which would then be automatically forwarded to call centers in India.
As part of the scheme, Taylor activated and programmed cell phones to automatically forward calls to the foreign call centers. He also hired associates, including his co-defendant Michael Galanis, to program hundreds of cell phones for this purpose. After learning that co-conspirators in India had been charged with conduct related to the fraud scheme, Taylor destroyed evidence related to the scheme, including prepaid credit cards, cell phones, and other documents.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines sentenced Ronnell Taylor, Jr. on January 8, 2024, to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. Taylor was also ordered to pay restitution to 27 victims of the fraud scheme in the total amount of $193,111.
In a statement, Judge Haines emphasized that the fraud conspiracy impacted numerous victims and lasted for almost 18 months. The judge noted that victims of the scheme were threatened and some suffered “financial destruction” as a result of the defendant’s offense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan commended the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Taylor.
Anyone with information about allegations of elder fraud can report it by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 833–372–8311. More information about the government’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
The government urges anyone who may be a victim of elder fraud to report it immediately. With the help of law enforcement and government agencies, we can work together to protect our seniors and bring those responsible to justice.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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