The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has announced the conviction of a New Bedford man on multiple charges related to larceny and witness intimidation. The verdict was delivered after a bench trial in Bristol County Taunton Superior Court.
Victor Tiu Lopez, from New Bedford, faced charges following accusations of stealing $20,400 by false pretenses from 13 individuals during 2022. After seven days of testimony, he was found guilty of one count of witness intimidation, eight counts of larceny over $1200 by false pretenses, and four counts of larceny under $1200 by false pretenses. Judge Claudine Cloutier sentenced Lopez to two consecutive two-year terms in the House of Correction, followed by a year on probation.
In September 2022, the Attorney General's Office indicted Lopez. They alleged that between February and April 2022, he misrepresented himself as the owner or prospective owner of affordable apartments for rent in New Bedford. He reportedly collected over $20,000 in deposits from unsuspecting renters. Many victims were members of a Guatemalan Mayan immigrant community experiencing housing crises.
Lopez also faced conviction for threatening a community organizer from Centro Comunitario De Trabajadores—a non-profit organization supporting immigrant workers—who assisted scam victims in reporting his fraudulent activities.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Sullivan and Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schmidt prosecuted the case with support from Victim Witness Advocate Ceara Tavares and Civilian Investigator Marcus Melia. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, New Bedford Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police provided additional support.
The AGO’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division is responsible for investigating crimes against public agencies and employees that affect public confidence in government institutions.