U-Haul Pickups and Fake Bail Calls: Two Tampa Men Sentenced for Five-Week Grandparent Scam in Northern Ohio

The indictment

On November 6, 2020, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, part of the Department of Justice (DOJ), announced that a federal grand jury in Toledo had returned a nine-count indictment charging John Tyler Pla, 25, and Johnny Lee Palmer, 25, both of Tampa, Florida, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

According to the indictment:

• From July 20 to August 28, 2020, the defendants allegedly conspired to run a grandparent scam on elderly victims in Brecksville, Parma, Gates Mills, Lorain, Mansfield, Fairview Park, Westlake and Mentor.
• Callers claimed to be a grandson, granddaughter or an attorney for the relative and said the relative had been arrested and needed bail money.
• The conspirators arranged for a purported courier to pick up the money in person.
• The defendants rented a U-Haul vehicle and traveled to victims' homes to collect the cash.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge in Cleveland urged families to talk with elderly relatives about these scams before a call ever comes.

Pleas and sentences

On March 29, 2021, DOJ announced that both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The plea release described the roles this way: a member of the scheme called victims posing as a relative or the relative's attorney, and Pla, Palmer or another member traveled to collect the money.

On July 27, 2021, DOJ announced that U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker sentenced Pla to 37 months and Palmer to 33 months in prison. Both were ordered to pay $383,932 in restitution.

The FBI's Cleveland Division and the Westlake Police Department investigated.

The bottom line:

The phone calls created a false arrest and bail emergency, and the defendants completed the fraud by collecting cash at victims' homes. In about five weeks, losses reached $383,932.

Key takeaways

1. Relative and attorney impersonation were combined in the calls.
2. "Bail money" was the demand, paid in cash to a courier.
3. In-person collection creates exposure for the people doing pickups.
4. Local police investigated alongside the FBI, in this case the Westlake Police Department.
5. Family conversations are the FBI's recommended prevention step.