Three Peruvian Nationals Conspired to Defraud Thousands of Spanish-Speaking U.S. Residents
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release from May 14, 2021, three Peruvian nationals pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud thousands of Spanish-speaking U.S. residents. Omar Cuzcano Marroquin, 32, Jerson Renteria Gonzales, 37, and Evelyng Milla Campuzano, 35, each of Lima, Peru used Peruvian call centers to extort Spanish-speaking individuals in the US for money, threatening them with arrest and deportation if they did not comply.
The three defendants and their call center employees falsely told victims that they had to pay for English language courses and educational products. When victims refused, they were fooled into believing they could be punished through criminal court proceedings. Between April 2011 and July 2019, the defendants made millions of dollars from thousands of victims.
In their guilty plea, the defendants admitted to operating the Latinos en Accion, Accion Latino, and Bienestar Hispano call centers in Lima, Peru. Callers falsely told victims they had won raffles for free products. After accepting the product, victims were told they had to pay a large sum or be taken to a “minor crimes court”. The defendants and call center employees falsely claimed to be lawyers, court officials, and federal agents, convincing many victims that they were in a legally binding contract and would face negative marks on their credit reports, imprisonment, or deportation consequences if they did not oblige.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department's Civil Division stated of the crime, “The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will steadfastly pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who defraud vulnerable U.S. consumers. Those who impersonate U.S. government officials and use threats to prey on our recent immigrant communities will be brought to justice and held accountable in U.S. courts.”
The three Peruvian nationals were extradited to the U.S. on July 2, 2019 and remain incarcerated awaiting trial. Cuzcano is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Renteria and Milla are scheduled to be sentenced on August 6 and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida explained, “With today’s technology, fraudsters can target victims living thousands of miles away as easily as they can target next-door neighbors. This office, together with its domestic and international law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute criminals who prey on vulnerable victims within our district, no matter where those criminals are located.”