Las Vegas pair get federal prison terms in fraud scheme targeting elderly Pittsburgh-area residents
Jan. 19—Two Las Vegas men will spend time in federal prison for their roles in an international fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims including Pittsburgh-area residents.
Bethel Park police, Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations were among agencies involved in a probe that led to the arrests and convictions of Roderick Feurtado, 57, and Tarek Bouanane, 47.
Ruling Friday in federal court in Pittsburgh, U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan handed down a 10-year prison term for Feurtado and 46 months, nearly four years, for Bouanane.
State police seized about $220,000 from the defendants during the investigation, and Ranjan ordered restitution totaling more than $258,000 to 16 victims.
"The lengthy prison sentences imposed on Bouanane and Feurtado send a clear message that this conduct will not be tolerated and, hopefully, will provide some measure of justice and closure to the victims and their families," U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan said in a news release.
Evidence during a five-day trial indicated the defendants traveled to the Pittsburgh area in September 2021 to carry out a scheme to defraud elderly victims of large amounts of cash.
Victims were contacted and falsely told that a family member, usually a grandchild, had been detained in a legal proceeding and needed money for bail. The victims were directed to withdraw cash and provide it to a "courier" who would visit them at their homes.
Bouanane acted as a courier, while Feurtado acted as the "safe house," providing directions to the couriers and collecting the money obtained from the victims.
During the trial, the jury heard recorded instructions from a co-conspirator, directing that couriers park far away from victims' homes and wear masks to obscure their identities.
The defendants kept a portion of the fraud proceeds and had plans to pass along the rest to other co-conspirators, including by converting the money to cryptocurrency.
Prior to imposing the sentences, Ranjan indicated the harm to the victims was emotional, as well as financial.
The judge noted Feurtado had demonstrated a lack of remorse and that his testimony at trial included misrepresentations.
"Investigations and prosecutions as complex as this one are only successful when teams are truly dedicated to protecting vulnerable members of our society," said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker.
Both defendants are subject to three years of supervised release after they serve their prison terms.
Feds: 'Masterminds' indicted
Three residents of Panama have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged roles in masterminding the fraud scheme involving Bouanane and Feurtado and other co-conspirators.
Stefano Zanetti, Samuel David Ferrer Avila and Cesar Javier Chourio Morante were arrested and extradited to Pittsburgh in August; their cases remain pending before Ranjan.
The fraud scheme spanned multiple locations throughout the United States, including in Western Pennsylvania.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. . A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
