A federal jury in North Carolina convicted a man today for his role in orchestrating a years-long telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Roger Roger, 40, of Costa Rica, led a fraudulent telemarketing scheme in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as U.S. government officials, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly, that they stood to receive a significant financial prize, the co-conspirators told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front payments before collecting their supposed prize, purportedly for items such as taxes, customs duties, and other fees. Co-conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, including Voice over Internet Protocol technology, which made it appear as though they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other locations in the United States. Roger personally called victims from Costa Rica, using fake names and documents to trick the victims into believing they had won a sweepstakes prize. He also recruited and directed co-conspirators to mislead victims on the phone and to transmit victims’ payments from the United States to Costa Rica. The evidence at trial showed that Roger and his co-conspirators stole over $4 million from victims.
Roger was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of international money laundering. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and the wire fraud counts, because the jury found that these counts involved telemarketing that victimized at least 10 people over the age of 55, and 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering counts. Sentencing will occur at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina; Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Atlanta Division; Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Robert DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The USPIS Atlanta Division, IRS-CI Cincinnati Field Office, and FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case. The La Grande, Oregon Police Department and Union County District Attorney Victim Assistance Office provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure Roger’s arrest and extradition.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Jaco and Amanda Fretto Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). 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. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.