Las Vegas man among 15 defendants in international mailing scheme targeting the elderly

by Cody Miller

Among the 15 defendants in an international mailing scheme targeting the elderly is North Las Vegas resident Dennis Hunsaker, who with his company, Digital Matrix International Inc, played a key role in the fraudulent ploy. (MGN Online)

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A federal judge in New York ordered 15 individuals and companies to cease their involvement with fraudulent mailings targeting the elderly on Monday, Oct. 21.

Among the 15 defendants is North Las Vegas resident Dennis Hunsaker, who with his company, Digital Matrix International Inc, played a key role in the fraudulent ploy.

According to a release from the Department of Justice, the defendants mailed and assisted in the mailing of thousands of solicitations disguised as individualized notices. These notices falsely stated that the recipients had won large sums of money or valuable prizes yet needed to pay a fee to claim the winnings.

The solicitations were mailed to victims throughout the world, and many victims returned their payments but received nothing in return.

These schemes defrauded a number of individuals and grossed around $4.8 million in just the last year, according to the complaint.

Monday’s order ends the defendants’ involvement in the multi-million dollar schemes.

.“Anyone who engages in deceptive practices like this should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable, regardless of where they are," said Inspector in Charge Delany DeLeon-Colon of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group.

Hunsaker and his company enabled the scheme by providing tools that managed lists of recipients and respondents.

Other defendants reside across the U.S. as well as Canada and Germany.

Permanent injunctions were issued after the New York district court granted a request for a temporary restraining order against the defendants. This prohibits the defendants, including Hunsaker, from sending fraudulent solicitations, receiving, handling, or opening any victim mail and using or benefitting from the lists of respondents.

“These permanent injunctions stop unscrupulous individuals and companies from conducting fraudulent solicitation schemes that targeted the elderly in our district and throughout the country and the world,” said U. S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York. “This office will continue to use all available resources to protect victims of get-rich-quick schemes.”
This case is a part of the DOJ’s Elder Fraud Initiative.

Full Article & Source:
Las Vegas man among 15 defendants in international mailing scheme targeting the elderly