A Southern California woman was recently sentenced to 9 months in jail for her role in a multifaceted scam of a Santa Clara senior that started with the good news of a sweepstakes win and then took a twist, turning into threats of legal repercussions for being swindled in the first place, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that the scam started last October, when the Santa Clara elderly was informed that she had won a sweepstakes for more than half a million dollars. However, to claim the winnings, she had to send a “nonresidential tax” fee of $4,000 to an agent. After doing so, a man posing as an FBI agent contacted the victim, informing her that she had been tricked, and that she would have to fork over $25,000 in order to avoid litigation. The victim then received phone calls from people posing as CIA and IRS agents asking for more money.
The Southern California woman went to the victim home, and picked up the funds. The woman pleaded guilty to and was convicted of felony theft by false pretense, and was ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution that had been scammed from the victim.
If you have been accused of or charged with theft by false pretense, contact San Jose criminal lawyer Gabriel Cho for a free consultation at (408) 436-7600.