DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN LARGE GRANDPARENT FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — September 17, 2026 — A Dominican Republic man who had been living illegally in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a large grandparent fraud operation that targeted elderly victims, moved stolen cash across multiple states, and funneled proceeds back to the Dominican Republic.

Elvys Nicanor Nunez Valerio, 33, pleaded guilty September 14 before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer to one count of money laundering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the plea on September 17.

Federal prosecutors said Valerio participated in a sophisticated fraud operation based in the Dominican Republic. Members of the conspiracy contacted elderly victims while impersonating grandchildren or other close relatives who supposedly faced an emergency and urgently needed money. The scheme relied on fear, family concern, and pressure to persuade victims to hand over large amounts of cash before they had time to verify the story.

The conspirators arranged for rideshare drivers to collect cash from victims and deliver it to members of the criminal group. Investigators determined that at least one driver involved in the July 2025 incident was an unknowing participant.

Valerio admitted that his role included receiving fraud proceeds from rideshare drivers, laundering the money, and ultimately transferring proceeds to the Dominican Republic. His guilty plea establishes criminal responsibility for the money laundering conspiracy charge and moves the case into the sentencing phase.

One of the incidents detailed by federal prosecutors occurred on July 12, 2025, when an elderly resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania was contacted by scammers and deceived into providing $10,000. A rideshare driver went to the victim’s home, collected the cash, and transported it as directed by the fraud network.

The victim’s family later discovered what had happened and contacted the Pennsylvania State Police. The victim remained in communication with the scammer, who then demanded another $12,000 and falsely claimed the money was needed so the victim’s daughter could be released from prison.

Authorities used the second demand to continue the investigation. A rideshare driver picked up a second package, but the package did not contain fraud proceeds. Pennsylvania State Police stopped the driver and determined that the driver was an unknowing participant. Authorities then allowed the driver to deliver the package to its destination address in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The package was delivered to an address in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where the driver handed it to Valerio. Pennsylvania State Police stopped Valerio before he was able to leave. A search of the vehicle recovered the second package along with proceeds connected to the original $10,000 payment taken from the victim.

The investigation expanded beyond that single transaction. Prosecutors said Valerio had traveled around the United States while participating in the broader fraud conspiracy. Financial activity associated with a bank account in his name showed more than 40 cash deposits totaling more than $65,000 between January and July 2025. Investigators also identified payments involving other members of the conspiracy and transfers of fraud proceeds to the Dominican Republic.

The structure described by prosecutors reflects a coordinated operation rather than an isolated telephone scam. One group contacted victims, another arranged transportation, additional participants received the cash, and financial channels were then used to move or conceal the proceeds. The use of rideshare drivers also created physical distance between the victims and the members of the organization ultimately receiving the money.

The FBI has warned for years that grandparent fraud schemes frequently rely on fabricated emergencies involving arrests, accidents, medical problems, or other crises. Criminals may impersonate relatives, attorneys, police officers, medical personnel, or other authority figures to make the story more convincing. The central tactic is urgency: victims are pressured to act before contacting another family member who could expose the deception.

The Valerio prosecution is part of a broader federal case involving other members of the same conspiracy. Earlier this month, Luis Alfonso Bisono Rodriguez and Engels Guillermo Almengot Valerio were each sentenced by Judge Fischer to two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after being convicted of money laundering conspiracy connected to the same grandparent fraud operation.

Elvys Nicanor Nunez Valerio is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2026. The money laundering conspiracy offense carries a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. The sentence ultimately imposed will be determined by Judge Fischer after consideration of the federal sentencing guidelines, the seriousness of the offense, and Valerio’s criminal history, if any.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting the case for the government. The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police, working with numerous other law enforcement agencies across the United States, conducted the investigation that led to Valerio’s prosecution.

The case demonstrates how a fraud operation that begins with a phone call can develop into a multi-state money laundering network involving cash couriers, bank accounts, interstate travel, and international transfers. For elderly victims, the initial deception can take only minutes. For investigators, tracing where that money goes can expose a much larger organization operating far beyond the location of the original crime.

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