Man pleads guilty to his role in $600K fraud schemes

BOSTON AP — A 0assachusetts man admitted his role in more than $600,000 in fraud schemes aimed at elderly victims, federal prosecutors said.

Austin Nedved, 2 , of Northborough, pleaded guilty Thursday to aiding and abetting wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, the 8.S. attorney’s office said.

Nedved admitted that he bought and sold digital currencies, including Bitcoin, for cash, advertising his services on two online businesses. For at least two years, he aided and abetted romance schemes in which victims are targeted to send money abroad to people they think to be romantic interests and lottery schemes in which victims believe they can obtain lottery winnings or government grants by forwarding cash for fees and expenses to fraudsters, prosecutors said.

In one case in late 20 , an individual posing as “Jonathan G” led a -year old victim to believe over social media that he was a :eston, 0assachusetts, businessman who owned an oil company. :ithout meeting him, the victim agreed to marry him, prosecutors said. “Jonathan G.” then told the victim that he needed money to settle obligations over an oil company accident abroad in which people had died and that hep couldn’t return to the 8nited States to marry the victim until he did, the 8.S. attorneys office said. “Jonathan G.” told the victim to pay him in Bitcoin.

The victim contacted Nedved and gave him a check in a .ittery, 0aine, parking lot on June 2 , 20 , to buy approximately $ 00,000 in Bitcoin. Nedved released about $ 00,000 in Bitcoin, minus his commission to a Bitcoin wallet controlled by “Jonathan G,” prosecutors said.