PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Florida has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Adrian Orozco Perez, 25, currently detained at the Walton County Jail in Monroe, GA, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, in February 2022, the defendant traveled to the Pittsburgh area to execute a scheme to defraud targeting elderly victims. To execute the scheme, members of the conspiracy called the victims, posed as an attorney, and falsely represented that one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees. The defendant then posed as a courier or bail bondsman, visited the victims at their homes, and collected the fraudulently obtained money. Perez engaged in similar conduct in Georgia and Tennessee.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Walton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.