{"id":55014,"date":"2023-12-13T16:46:59","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T00:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=55014"},"modified":"2023-12-13T16:46:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T00:46:59","slug":"two-indicted-for-allegedly-laundering-over-2-million-from-victims-of-grandparent-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=55014","title":{"rendered":"Two Indicted for Allegedly Laundering Over $2 Million from Victims of “Grandparent Scams”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"FBI agents on Tuesday arrested a West Los Angeles man who is one of two defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme that laundered at least $2 million from victims of grandparent scams, officials stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Victims were defrauded with bogus claims that their relatives were in distress and urgently needed funds.<\/span><\/p>\n

James Wesley Jackson III, aka \u201cImperial,\u201d 42, pleaded not guilty this week to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two-count indictment unsealed this afternoon also charges Christopher Fagon (who had several aliases, mostly variations of \u201cChristopher Broker\u201d), 45, who at the time of the alleged scheme lived in the Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles and who is now believed to reside in or near Toronto, Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"FBI
FBI Photo Image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The indictment outlines how perpetrators of grandparent scams convince victims to send money \u2013 purportedly to help relatives, often their grandchildren, who are typically described as being in legal trouble \u2013 \u201cto bank accounts, business entities, and physical addresses specified by the scammers, using interstate wires and cashier\u2019s checks\u2026, for the supposed purpose of assisting the relatives in distress.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The victims\u2019 money is often initially handled by \u201cmoney mules,\u201d who allow their addresses or bank accounts to be used or agree to receive or negotiate cashier\u2019s checks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"brownFagon allegedly was a manager of money mules, including Jackson, who also recruited his own money mules. <\/span><\/p>\n

The indictment further alleges that Fagon created business entities and opened bank accounts using information stolen from identity theft victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the money was in the accounts associated with the money mules or identity theft victims, Fagon and Jackson allegedly engaged in transactions designed to conceal the true nature of the funds, which had been obtained via wire fraud<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The indictment specifically alleges that the scheme laundered funds obtained from victims of grandparent scams who reside in California and as far away as Pennsylvania.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bank fraud scheme alleged in the indictment involves fraudulently obtained funds held in suspense in an account set up in the name of an identity theft victim. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Fagon, Jackson, and a co-conspirator allegedly worked together to contact the bank and impersonate the identity theft victim to secure the issuance of a check for nearly $83,000 that was remaining in the account.<\/span><\/p>\n

At his arraignment Tuesday, Jackson was ordered released on bond, and a trial was scheduled for Feb. 6, officials stated. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.<\/span><\/p>\n

The conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, and the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a sentence of up to 30 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

The FBI is investigating this case. <\/span><\/p>\n

Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0 FBI agents on Tuesday arrested a West Los Angeles man who is one of two defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment alleging a scheme that laundered at least…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nTwo Indicted for Allegedly Laundering Over $2 Million from Victims of "Grandparent Scams"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0 FBI agents on Tuesday arrested a West Los Angeles man who is one of two defendants charged in a federal grand jury indictment\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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