Matthew Ramos-Soto, a 27-year-old from Hartford, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for his involvement in a wire fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. The sentencing was announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Ramos-Soto pled guilty on April 4, 2024, and has been ordered to pay restitution.
Ramos-Soto was involved in a network executing grandparent schemes across the United States. These scams involved co-conspirators outside the country who called elderly individuals pretending to be a relative or their attorney. Victims were misled into believing their relatives were arrested following an accident and required bail money. Couriers like Ramos-Soto posed as bail bondsmen to collect cash from victims' homes.
Between October 24 and October 28, 2022, Ramos-Soto and others collected over $250,000 from victims in Wisconsin alone. He was apprehended on June 28, 2023, while attempting another collection in Ottawa County, Michigan. Data from his cellphone revealed he had picked up funds from victims at 18 different locations nationwide.
Further federal cases against this fraud network are ongoing in various districts including Vermont and Rhode Island among others.
Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson condemned the crime as “cruel and devastating,” highlighting its impact on victims and expressing hope that the sentence would deter similar future crimes.
U.S. Attorney O’Shea emphasized the proliferation of scams targeting vulnerable groups and reiterated commitment to prosecuting such offenders with law enforcement support: “Unfortunately, scams targeting the elderly or vulnerable are proliferating... My office is committed to working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who target vulnerable individuals for financial gain.”
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul also expressed gratitude towards law enforcement officers: “The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to combating scams and holding perpetrators accountable.”
Michael Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee underscored the impact of elder fraud: “Elder fraud preys upon the vulnerabilities of our senior citizens... The FBI will continue to work with our partners to investigate those who commit these crimes.”
Authorities urge reporting suspected fraud through appropriate channels like the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or local resources such as the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-833-586-0107.
The investigation leading to Ramos-Soto's charge involved multiple agencies including the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and various county sheriffs' offices in Wisconsin as well as law enforcement in Michigan counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin prosecuted this case.