Cedar Rapids, IA – A married couple from Hazel Green, Wisconsin, Michael Marcov, 26, and Stephanie Marcov, 27, have pleaded guilty in federal court for their role in a sweeping fraud scheme targeting elderly victims across the United States.
In plea hearings, the Marcovs confessed to participating in an intricate con that deceived seniors by informing them of imprisoned relatives. They claimed they never made direct calls, but others did so, persuading victims to wire money via Western Union or Money Gram for bail. The proceeds were funneled through Dubuque, with Michael and Stephanie receiving transfers before forwarding the cash to participants in the Dominican Republic.
Both face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, fines, and three years of supervised release. Shawn Vaassen and Carlos Rodriguez, previously convicted, admitted to collecting wire transfers from the scheme’s victims in Dubuque. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Vavricek and Anthony Morfitt, the case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Dubuque Police Department.
Michael Marcov remains in custody, while Stephanie Marcov is out on bond. Sentencing will be determined after a presentence report. For more information on the court file, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with case files 17-CR-1001 and 17-CR-1004.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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