2 Florida men plead guilty to ‘grandparent scam’
Mansfield man, 73, bilked of $15,000 thinking he was helping grandson
MANSFIELD - Two Florida men have pleaded guilty to running a “grandparent scam” in northern Ohio targeting elderly grandparents, including a Mansfield man.
The victims included a 73-year-old Mansfield man who was scammed out of $15,000 on Aug. 24, 2020 after one of the Florida suspects called him on the telephone claiming to be his grandson while the other suspect claimed to be his grandson’s attorney, claiming to need $15,000 in cash for purported bail, according to a news release from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.
The same day, after the victim went to a bank, the suspects traveled to the victim’s residence in a U-haul vehicle and picked up the cash, according to the indictment, filed Nov. 4, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan said in a news release that John Tyler Pla, 25, and Johnny Lee Palmer, 26, both of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty Monday to operating the “grandparent scam” in Northern Ohio that caused victims a combined loss of $383,932.00.
Pla and Palmer both entered a plea of guilty to a nine-count indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
According to court documents, from July 20, 2020, to August 28, 2020, Pla and Palmer are accused of conspiring to orchestrate the scam targeting elderly victims in the Mansfield, Brecksville, Parma, Gates Mills, Lorain, Fairview Park, Westlake and Mentor areas.
A member of the conspiracy would call elderly victims in these areas claiming to be a relative, such as a grandson, granddaughter, or an attorney
for the relative, saying they had been arrested and required money for bail, according to a news release.
Court documents state that a member of the conspiracy would then arrange for a purported courier to pick up the money in person and then travel to the victim’s residence via a rented Uhaul vehicle.
Victims ranged in age from 73 to 86 years old, according to the indictment.
Pla and Palmer are scheduled to be sentenced on July 26 at 9 a.m.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and Westlake Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Mcdonough.
For anyone age 60 or older who has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-3728311).
This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps.
Reporting is the first step, helping authorities identify those who commit fraud. Reporting financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses.
The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available, according to authorities. lwhitmir@gannett.com 419-521-7223
Twitter: @Lwhitmir