Tanya M. Aboseada, Wire Fraud, Illinois 2023

BENTON, Ill. – A southern Illinois judge has handed down a tough sentence to a Florida woman who admitted to scamming her grandmother out of over $300,000.

Tanya M. Aboseada, 39, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud in May. The judge sentenced her to 3 years’ imprisonment, as well as ordering her to pay $317,049 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

The financial exploitation of Tanya Aboseada’s grandmother was a long-running scheme, with the suspect convincing her grandmother to wire money into her bank account on at least 12 occasions between November 2021 and August 2022. The suspect claimed she needed money to transfer a truck title into her name, pay off the IRS, cover attorney fees and fines for a vehicular accident, and even pay the family of an alleged child she killed in a vehicular accident to avoid going to jail.

“Seniors are warned to avoid giving money to strangers who may be looking to take advantage of them, but it’s a different kind of deceit when criminals target their own elderly family members,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate our partnership with the FBI to bring justice for the grandmother, who was simply wanting to help her grandchild she thought was in need.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Verseman and Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of the Elder Justice Initiative. The FBI Springfield Field Office conducted the investigation.

“The fraud perpetrated by Tanya Aboseada relied on the love and devotion of a family member, which is in many ways more heartless than when the perpetrator is a stranger,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI upholds an unwavering commitment to deliver justice to victims of elder fraud, and to prioritize the pursuit of those who deliberately target vulnerable seniors.”

The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of financial exploitation, particularly among the elderly. It is a crime that can have devastating consequences, both financially and emotionally.

Tanya M. Aboseada’s sentence is a result of her own guilt and the tireless efforts of law enforcement officials to bring her to justice. As the community moves forward, it is essential that we remain vigilant in protecting our most vulnerable citizens from those who would seek to exploit them.

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