Timothy M. O’Shea, US Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew Ramos-Soto, 27, Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a wire fraud scheme targeting elderly victims.
Mr. Ramos-Soto pled guilty to the charge on April 4, 2024. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
Ramos-Soto was part of a network of individuals perpetrating related grandparent schemes across the United States.
Co-conspirators operating outside the United States called elderly victims posing as a relative or relative’s attorney.
Victims were told that their relative had been arrested for causing an accident that severely injured or killed another person. Victims were asked to provide bail money in cash so their relative could be released immediately.
Once victims obtained the funds, a courier posing as a bail bondsman picked up the funds from the victims’ residences. Defendant was one of the couriers posing as a bail bondsman. Between October 24, 2022, and October 28, 2022, Ramos-Soto and the other couriers picked up more than $250,000 from victims throughout Wisconsin.
Law enforcement was able to identify Ramos-Soto and he was ultimately arrested attempting to pick up money from a victim in Ottawa County, Michigan, on June 28, 2023.
A subsequent search of Ramos-Soto’s cellphone data showed that from October 11, 2022, through his arrest on June 28, 2023, he picked up money from victims in 18 different locations around the United States.
Additional federal cases against this fraud network have been brought in the District of Vermont, District of Rhode Island, Southern District of California, Western District of Pennsylvania, Central District of Illinois, and the Western District of Kentucky.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson described the crime as “cruel and devastating,” acknowledging the significant financial and emotional impact on the victims. Judge Peterson also said that with the sentence, he hoped to deter Ramos-Soto and others from engaging in these types of schemes in the future.
“Unfortunately, scams targeting the elderly or vulnerable are proliferating. If someone demands money over the phone or internet, always reach out to a trusted advisor, law enforcement agency, or the fraud hotlines described below,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “My office is committed to working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who target vulnerable individuals for financial gain.”
“The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to combating scams and holding perpetrators accountable,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to the law enforcement officers from a number of different agencies who assisted with this investigation.”
“I want to acknowledge the many local and state law enforcement partners who worked to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “Elder fraud preys upon the vulnerabilities of our senior citizens and inflicts financial and emotional harm. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to investigate those who commit these crimes.”
If you suspect fraud has occurred or been attempted, report it to authorities so that those who commit fraud can be identified. The U.S. Justice Department operates the National Elder Fraud Hotline which can be reached at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), which is staffed by case managers who provide personalized support to callers. Wisconsin residents can also contact their local police department or the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-833-586-0107.
The charge against Ramos-Soto was the result of an investigation led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, following a Statewide Crime Alert by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office that connected several investigations across Wisconsin. The other Wisconsin agencies involved in the investigation are the Outagamie, Shawano, Manitowoc, and Brown County Sheriffs’ Offices; and the New Lisbon, Wrightstown, Fitchburg, Reedsburg, Randolph, Fox Valley Metro, Hobart Lawrence, Green Bay, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac Police Departments. Law enforcement in Ottawa County, Ionia County, and Kent County in Michigan also assisted with the investigation. The government would also like to acknowledge the assistance provided by local, state, and federal victim/witness personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin prosecuted the case.