Since early Wednesday morning, Sûreté du Québec investigators have arrested several people allegedly involved in a grandparent fraud network linked to organized crime in Montreal, particularly the Mafia.
Published at 6:32 am. Updated at 7:17 a.m.
The victims are mostly elderly people living in the United States and, according to our information, the total amount of the fraud would amount to at least 10 million.
While a wave of searches took place in the metropolitan area in March 2021 as part of this investigation called “Partnership”, investigators from the National Organized Crime Repression Squad (ENRCO), their colleagues from Economic Crimes and those from the Division of Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances have been investigating related cases with organized crime are conducting the final investigation this time so that fraud charges can be brought against the suspects at the Montreal courthouse on Wednesday afternoon.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
One of the suspects was arrested
In total, a dozen people were attacked this morning in Montreal, Laval, Saint-Laurent, Kirkland and Chambly. More than 50 police officers took part in the arrests.
According to our information, one of the suspects arrested on Wednesday morning is Joshua Sarroino, who was accused of the premeditated murder of Éric Francis De Souza, 24, in May 2019 in a restaurant in the DIX30 district in Brossard and who was acquitted in June after a jury trial. The prosecution then appealed the case.
PRESS PHOTO ARCHIVE
Joshua Sarroino
“Several American partners such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices – District of Maryland and Southern District of Indiana, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation – Chicago Field Office – Indianapolis Post of Duty, Indianapolis Metro Drug Task. “Force, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service are participating in the project,” the Sûreté du Québec wrote in a press release Wednesday morning.
“The organization’s purpose was to collect lists of names of elderly people residing in the United States and distribute them to the organization’s members for a fee per name. These individuals were then contacted as part of a “grandparent”-type fraud scheme, meaning the suspects demanded an urgent payment to help a supposed family member. the SQ already stated in a press release from January 2022.
Previous arrests in the United States
In March 2021, American authorities arrested at least five suspects linked to this network.
According to an indictment filed in Indianapolis, elderly people were called by a caller claiming to be a police officer or lawyer. The person made it appear that one of the victim’s grandchildren was in trouble and that he needed a sum of money between $5,000 and $15,000.
Suspects spent an average of a week in a U.S. city before moving elsewhere. They found unoccupied houses to deliver the packages with the money, collected the loot and then disappeared.
According to our information, the fraudulent calls came from Montreal.
These roving bill collectors are said to have scoured Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, Mississippi, Ohio and South Carolina. According to the indictment, they communicated using an encrypted messaging application.
To contact Daniel Renaud, call 514 285-7000, extension 4918, write to [email protected] or write to La Presse’s mailing address.