NORTH CAROLINA
A Florida man was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison for his role in an international telemarketing scheme orchestrated from a call center in Costa Rica that defrauded more than 400 victims – many of whom were elderly – in the United States out of millions of dollars, officials stated.
Manuel Mauro Chavez, 32, was convicted at trial in July 2021 in North Carolina of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and six counts of international money laundering, according to authorities.
According to court evidence, Chavez was a U.S.-based participant in a fraudulent scheme in which telemarketers in Costa Rica falsely posed as U.S. government officials and contacted victims in the United States to tell them they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize.
However, before collecting this supposed prize, they needed to make up-front payments to cover purported taxes or other fees.
After deceiving victims of their money, Chavez transmitted these funds from the United States to benefit the call center and others involved in the scheme in Costa Rica.
In two related matters, Mark Raymond Oman, 38, of Long Beach, Washington, was sentenced on Nov. 17, 2022, to three years and one month in prison. Paul Andy Stiep, 30, of Miami, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Dec. 20, 2022.
Oman worked at the call center soliciting victims and collecting victim funds in Costa Rica, while Stiep transmitted victims’ payments from the United States to benefit the call center in Costa Rica.
The FBI, USPIS, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Joshua DeBold and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know is 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).