According to the U.S. Attorney, two individuals, one from New York and the other from Florida, have been apprehended for their involvement as couriers in a series of grandparent scams. These scams specifically targeted elderly individuals in various states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Roberto Munoz, a 29-year-old resident of Hialeah, Florida, and Jason Rhodes, a 34-year-old resident of Flushing, New York, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. This information was revealed by Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha in a statement.
Munoz and Rhodes made their appearance before a federal judge on Friday. They were granted release on unsecured bond and were required to wear GPS electronic monitoring.
In early March, Munoz and Rhodes, working as couriers, allegedly traveled to multiple locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Their objective was to collect payments from unsuspecting victims in over a dozen communities, amassing a total of approximately $230,000.
According to Cunha, a device confiscated from Rhodes during his arrest contained chat messages sent to him by Munoz. These messages allegedly included the names and addresses of potential victims and their grandchildren residing in various states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Kansas, Maryland, Tennessee, Iowa, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
Elderly individuals are frequently targeted in grandparent scams, where they receive a phone call informing them that a family member, typically a grandchild, is in trouble. The caller claims that their relative has been arrested for a crime or caused a car accident and needs bail money.
According to prosecutors, couriers often operate within a specific geographic region. In this area, they await instructions and receive victim information from other participants involved in the scheme.
On March 8, Munoz and Rhodes were arrested by Warwick Police. This occurred while detectives were in the midst of investigating the third complaint within a week. The residents who had filed the complaints alleged that they had been victimized or contacted by scammers.
One pair of grandparents fell victim to a scam in which they handed over $18,000 to a courier, believing it was bail money for their grandson, according to prosecutors. The victims received further contact, informing them that their grandchild was now facing a lawsuit for $100,000 and requiring an immediate payment of $40,000.
The grandparents contacted Warwick Police when they realized that the demands were part of a scam. In response, investigators promptly organized surveillance both inside and outside the grandparents’ home, patiently waiting for the courier to come back.
After conducting a thorough search of the vehicle and a hotel room that was registered to Rhodes, investigators discovered and confiscated over $60,000 in cash along with various other items.
The investigation is still ongoing, as investigators suspect that several families in Rhode Island and Massachusetts have fallen victim to these crimes.
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This story is currently in progress. Please check back later for updates as more information becomes available.
