The Pickup Man Gets 46 Months: Grandparent Scam Network Members Plead Guilty to RICO Conspiracy

This story is about the pickup.

What happened?

On March 9, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that two members of a large-scale "grandparent scam" network pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act:

• Timothy Ingram, also known as "Bleezy," 29, of North Hollywood, California, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022.
• Jack Owuor, 25, of Paramount, California, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2022.

Each faced up to 20 years in prison. In addition, four other co-defendants were awaiting trial while two more had been charged but were at large.

How the network worked

According to court documents:

• Network members called elderly Americans and impersonated a grandchild, other close relative or friend.
• They falsely said the relative was in legal trouble and needed money for bail, for medical expenses for car accident victims, or to stop more charges from being filed.
• Victims paid thousands to tens of thousands of dollars each.
• The cash came in through in-person pickup, the mail and wire transfers, and was laundered, including through cryptocurrency.

Update: the sentence

On August 17, 2022, the DOJ announced that Owuor was sentenced to 46 months in prison. According to court documents, he personally made cash pickups from numerous victims and also recruited and directed other members of the conspiracy.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Diego Field Office investigated with the assistance of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. The DOJ Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.

Here's the thing ...

RICO. For a phone scam.

That tells you how prosecutors see these networks. Not as a few guys making prank calls. As organized crime, with callers, pickup crews, recruiters and money launderers.

And the pickup guy? He's the easiest one to catch. He's the one standing on a grandma's porch. Owuor did pickups and recruited others to do them, and that's how a 25-year-old ended up with nearly four years in federal prison.

If anyone ever offers you cash to "grab a package" from an older person's house, run.

What to do this week

• Set a family code word. If a "grandchild" calls in trouble, ask for it.
• Hang up and call the relative directly on a number you already have.
• No real court or lawyer sends a courier to collect bail money in cash.
• Report it to the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).