Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Senior Citizens in Bail Money Scheme

Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Senior Citizens in Bail Money Scheme

A Boston man admitted to taking part in a scheme to defraud senior citizens across the country by convincing them to send cash payments to various addresses in Rhode Island to secure the release of a relative from jail, U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman announced on Tuesday.

Julio Feliciano, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He will be sentenced on April 20, 2020.

Guilty Plea

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According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Feliciano, 32, admitted that between April and October 2019, members of the conspiracy contacted senior citizens in at least four states, North Carolina, Delaware, Illinois, and Tennessee, and told them that cash payments ranging from $7,000 to $9,500 were required to secure the release of a relative, typically a grandson or nephew, from jail.

The claims were not true.

In each instance, a member of the conspiracy, using various fictitious names, instructed a senior citizen to mail packages containing cash to locations in Rhode Island, including private residences, UPS stores, and a pharmacy.

Feliciano admitted to the Court that he traveled to the various locations to retrieve the packages.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Feliciano was arrested on November 22, 2019, on a federal criminal complaint as the result of a still on-going investigation by Rhode Island State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.

Possible Punishment

Conspiracy to commit mail fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary value of the gain or loss resulting from the offense, and a term of supervised release of 5 years.