A British national, Elijah Gavin, also known as Timothy O’Reilly and Elijah Thomas, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island. The indictment accuses the 29-year-old of participating in a multi-state construction and money laundering fraud scheme. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the charges.
Gavin faces allegations of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. Court documents claim that he is part of the "Traveling Conmen Fraud Group," identified by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center as a Transnational Organized Crime group. These groups reportedly consist of Irish or U.K. nationals who enter the United States on tourist visas or illegally, soliciting construction work across various states.
The indictment alleges that Gavin and his co-conspirators defrauded property owners in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York out of over one million dollars. They allegedly misrepresented their identities and qualifications to homeowners and convinced them to pay for unnecessary repairs. It is claimed they formed multiple construction businesses under false pretenses to deceive property owners about the need for work on their properties.
The fraudulent activities included collecting funds for incomplete or unnecessary work and billing for unused equipment. The proceeds were deposited into accounts controlled by co-conspirators or transferred to others who laundered the money.
One victim was a 78-year-old woman from Rhode Island who was reportedly tricked into paying over $850,000 for unnecessary repairs. Gavin has been detained since his arrest in New Jersey on January 29, 2025, and is scheduled to be arraigned on March 10, 2025. It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Taylor A. Dean are prosecuting the case. Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island State Police, and U.S Diplomatic Security Service are investigating the matter.