Rideshare Drivers as Unwitting Couriers: Pittsburgh Prosecutors Work Through a Dominican Grandparent Scam Network

How the scheme worked

According to releases from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, part of the Department of Justice (DOJ):

• Conspirators in the Dominican Republic called elderly people, impersonating a grandchild or other relative in a crisis such as an accident or arrest.
• In some cases the caller handed the phone to someone posing as a lawyer or bail bondsman seeking payment.
• The scammers arranged for rideshare drivers, unaware of the fraud, to pick up cash from victims' homes and deliver it to a member of the group.
• Portions of the money were deposited into bank accounts or sent to the Dominican Republic through money transfer services.

The defendants

• Genesis Delgado Rosa, 31, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on February 2, 2026. DOJ said she arranged pickups through her rideshare account, deposited proceeds and opened an account under a fake name with a fraudulently obtained driver's license, which she used to pay drivers.
• Engels Guillermo Almengot Valerio, 26, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026. He ordered the rides, collected cash from drivers and laundered it, operating in Pennsylvania, New York, California and Nevada. A search of his residence found $12,000 in cash.
• Luis Alfonso Bisono Rodriguez, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Almengot Valerio were each sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release, announced September 8, 2026.
• Elvys Nicanor Nunez Valerio, 33, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on September 14, 2026, with sentencing set for December 1, 2026.

A controlled delivery

The September 17 release describes how one arrest happened. On July 12, 2025, an elderly western Pennsylvania resident gave $10,000 to a rideshare driver. After his family contacted the Pennsylvania State Police, the scammer demanded another $12,000 so his daughter could be released from prison. A second package, without fraud proceeds, was picked up. Police stopped the unknowing driver, let the delivery continue to Harrisburg, and stopped Nunez Valerio after he received it. Proceeds from the first package were recovered. His bank account showed more than 40 cash deposits totaling over $65,000 between January and July 2025.

Senior U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer handled the cases. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Pennsylvania State Police investigated with other departments nationwide.

The bottom line:

The phone call creates the emergency, and an ordinary ride moves the cash. Each launderer DOJ identified faced federal money laundering conspiracy charges.

Key takeaways

1. Impersonated relatives and fake lawyers were the voices on the line.
2. Rideshare platforms were misused as cash couriers without drivers' knowledge.
3. Families who intervene early can enable controlled deliveries.
4. Bank deposit patterns supported the charges, including dozens of small cash deposits.
5. Two year sentences were imposed on two launderers.