Albany man pleads guilty to stealing $230K from elderly pensioner

Devin Zielinski, 33, pleaded guilty to grand larceny after stealing more than $230,000 from an elderly New York state pensioner, officials announced Friday. His co-defendant, Amber Diacetis, 31, pleaded guilty to related charges last year.

According to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, Zielinski and Diacetis posed as live-in caregivers while exploiting the victim’s finances over several years.

Details of the financial exploitation

• The victim, an 87-year-old widower with no immediate family support, received $3,526 monthly from his state pension and $2,138 from Social Security.
• From 2018 to 2023, $338,000 was deposited into his accounts; investigators determined over $230,000 was withdrawn by the defendants for personal use.
• During this period, they neglected to pay the victim’s mortgage, property taxes, and utility bills, leading to foreclosure and the loss of his vehicle.
• The victim was left living in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, with inoperable plumbing and animal waste inside the home.

Following intervention by law enforcement, the victim was removed from the home and placed in a safe living environment. Zielinski has remained at the property as a squatter during foreclosure proceedings.

Sentencing dates set

Zielinski pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the third degree before Judge Jennifer G. Sober in Rensselaer County Court. He will be sentenced on June 18. Diacetis is scheduled for sentencing on May 20.

Officials condemned the defendants’ exploitation of a vulnerable senior. “Preying on a vulnerable senior citizen to steal his hard-earned pension and social security benefits while forcing him to live in squalor is reprehensible,” DiNapoli said.

The case was investigated by the State Comptroller’s Division of Investigations, New York State Police, Schodack Police Department, and prosecuted by the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office.

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Albany man pleads guilty to stealing $230K from elderly pensioner

Man Pleads Guilty to International Money Laundering Linked to Nigerian Romance Scams and Business Email Compromises

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in the Southern District of Florida to money laundering for his role in funneling the proceeds of scams against American consumers and businesses to co-conspirators located in Nigeria.

Niselio Barros Garcia Jr., 50, of Kissimmee, was indicted by a grand jury on July 12, 2023. According to court documents, Garcia supplied bank accounts to his co-conspirators for the purpose of receiving proceeds from romance scams, business email compromises and other fraud schemes. After receiving the criminal proceeds, Garcia used a cryptocurrency exchange to conceal and transfer the funds in Bitcoin to co-conspirators in Nigeria. Garcia personally laundered over $2.3 million of criminal proceeds and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.

Business email compromises involve criminals hacking or spoofing business email accounts to initiate fraudulent money transfers. Romance scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims, leading to financial exploitation. These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims.

“This prosecution demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting the public from complex financial crimes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case serves as a reminder of the sophisticated methods employed by criminals and the need for vigilance in the digital age. The Justice Department remains committed to aggressively pursuing individuals and groups involved in these kinds of illicit activities.”

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced in the Southern District of Florida on April 23. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Four additional defendants have been charged in this scheme but remain at large.

The FBI Buffalo Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Lauren Elfner and Matthew Robinson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.

Updated January 30, 2024

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Man Pleads Guilty to International Money Laundering Linked to Nigerian Romance Scams and Business Email Compromises

ASC: Montgomery man pleads guilty to financially exploiting the elderly, securities fraud

 By WSFA 12 News Staff

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The Alabama Securities Commission announced a guilty plea in a financial criminal case this week.

The commission reports that Nicholas Houston Allen, 35, of Montgomery, pleaded guilty to two counts of financial exploitation of an elderly person, one count of securities fraud and one count of theft of property. An Alabama Securities Commission spokesman said it was a blind plea, meaning the judge will set a sentencing date at a later time.

According to the commission, Allen falsely claimed he was going to flip houses and/or invest their money in his company, Professional Fix LLC. Instead, he used their money to pay for his personal living expenses.

“Allen prowled neighborhoods for elderly victims and came up with reasons to engage them in conversation. Once he gained the victim’s trust, he persuaded them to invest in his endeavors and stole their money,” said Alabama Securities Commission Director Amanda Senn said in a statement.

Senn said Allen used “deception, intimidation, or threat of force” to get unauthorized control over the victims’ personal property. Two victims in their 80s lost over $236,000, while a third victim lost over $1,700.

The Alabama Securities Commission cautions investors to thoroughly research any investment opportunity. Call the commission at 1-800-222-1253 and ask for the registration department to find out about anyone offering investment opportunities, investment advice for a fee and any products they offer. You may also report any suspected fraud, inappropriate securities business practices, or obtain consumer information.

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ASC: Montgomery man pleads guilty to financially exploiting the elderly, securities fraud