(File Photo of a Gavel)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Pittsburgh, PA) United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today that a Dominican Republic resident who was illegally living in Perth Amboy, New Jersey pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of money laundering conspiracy in connection with a grandparent fraud scheme.
Thirty-three-year-old Elvys Nicanor Nunez Valerio pleaded guilty to one count on Monday.
The court was advised in connection with the guilty plea that Valerio was a participant in a sophisticated grandparent fraud scheme that operated out of the Dominican Republic in which an organized crime group impersonating a grandchild, or other close relative, in a crisis contacted elderly victims and asked for immediate financial assistance.
The scammers arranged for a rideshare driver to pick up money from the elderly relative and deliver that cash to a member of the criminal group.
Portions of the money were then deposited into bank accounts or sent back to the Dominican Republic via money transfer services.
Valerio’s role in this conspiracy was to receive the fraud proceeds from the rideshare drivers, to launder the money further, and to ultimately transfer the money to the Dominican Republic.
An elderly resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania was contacted as part of the grandparent scheme on July 12th, 2025 and he was deceived into providing $10,000 to a rideshare driver who came to his home to pick up the funds.
The victim’s family subsequently learned of the fraud and contacted the Pennsylvania State Police.
The victim was still in contact with the scammer, and that scammer instructed the victim to pay another $12,000 so that his daughter could be released from jail.
A driver picked up the second package and the package did not contain any fraud proceeds.
The Pennsylvania State Police initiated a traffic stop on the rideshare driver, and that driver was an unknowing participant in this fraud.
Authorities allowed the driver to deliver the package to its destination address that was located in Harrisburg.
The driver provided the second package to Valerio, and Valerio was stopped by the Pennsylvania State Police before he was able to drive away.
A search of the vehicle resulted in the second package’s recovery as well as fraud proceeds that were associated with the first package.
Further investigation revealed that Valerio was involved in the larger conspiracy, and he had traveled around the country participating in this fraud.
Activity in a bank account in Valerio’s name was determined to be consistent with involvement in this scheme, including, over 40 cash deposits totaling more than $65,000 between January and July of 2025.
The financial records also showed the payments to and from other members of the conspiracy as well as transfers of the fraud proceeds to the Dominican Republic.
Valerio’s sentencing is scheduled for December 1st, 2026, and he could face a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both, provided by the law.