US Convicts 2 Men For $4.5Mln Telemarketing Fraud - Justice Dept.

A federal jury has convicted two men over their roles in an international conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims of nearly $4.5 million, the US Justice Department said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2021) A Federal jury has convicted two men over their roles in an international conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims of nearly $4.5 million, the US Justice Department said on Friday.

"A federal jury convicted two men Wednesday for their roles in a $4.5 million telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica," the Justice Department said in a press release. "Manuel Chavez, 30, of Miami, Florida, and Mark Oman, 36, of Long Beach, Washington, participated in a fraudulent telemarketing scheme in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as US government officials, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial 'sweepstakes' prize.

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The Justice Department said the victims were asked to make up-from payments if they wanted to receive a "prize" but were not given anything. Chavez and Oman operated in the United States and Costa Rica, where a fraudulent call center collected funds, the release said.

Each of the defendants was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering and six counts of international money laundering and up to 20 years in prison per count, according to the release.