Third Co-Conspirator Sentenced in International Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – On January 23, 2024, a resident of Reseda, California, was sentenced in federal court to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $117,525 in restitution on his conviction of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Roberto Gutierrez, 51. Two co-defendants, Roderick Feurtado and Tarek Bouanane, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, were sentenced by Judge Ranjan on Friday, January 19, for their roles in the case, with Feurtado receiving a sentence of ten years and Bouanane a sentence of 46 months, each followed by three years of supervised release, along with restitution totaling $258,520 to 16 victims. Additional information regarding those sentencing hearings and the larger investigation and prosecution of the alleged masterminds of the fraud scheme can be found here.

According to information presented to the court, the three were participants in a scheme to defraud elderly victims. Posing as attorneys, members of the conspiracy called numerous victims and falsely represented that one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees. Gutierrez and others would then visit the victims at their homes, posing as a courier or bail bondsman to collect the fraudulently obtained money. At least $250,000 was obtained in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere through the conspiracy.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the harm it caused the victims.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey R. Bengel and Michael R. Ball prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Bethel Park Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of the three individuals.

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 Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/assistant?orgcode=USDOJEFH or at 877-FTC-HELP.