Miramar man pleads guilty to bank fraud, using money to buy Tesla, feds say
A Miramar man admitted in federal court that he helped operate a nationwide fraud ring that tricked elderly victims into handing over their money, some of which he used to pay for a Tesla in Las Vegas, federal prosecutors said.
Albert Guerra, 26, appeared in federal court in San Diego last week to plead guilty to bank fraud and money laundering charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Guerra admitted to traveling across the country posing as a bank employee to trick victims into withdrawing money from their bank accounts, officials said in a March 26 news release.
The scam that prosecutors say Guerra and accomplices used to trick victims is an old stand by:
The gang obtained bank customer information and called the victims. Guerra and the others falsely claimed they were investigating suspicious activity in the victims’ bank accounts, according to his plea agreement.
It’s unclear how many people were duped by the group.
The wide-reaching scheme was cracked by the FBI, the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, the San Diego Police Department and the Portland Police Bureau.
Here is how investigators say the victims were tricked: Guerra instructed victims to withdraw cash and give it to supposed bank representatives. Instead, rideshare drivers sent by Guerra collected the money from the victims and delivered it to him.
To avoid suspicion, Guerra often told the drivers they were picking up documents from “my grandma” or “my grandpa,” he admitted.
Federal prosecutors detailed a string of incidents after Guerra flew from Houston to San Diego in October, where he defrauded at least three victims. Authorities said he collected $13,000 from one victim, $37,000 from another and $86,300 from a third victim, for a total of $136,300.
Days later, Guerra used some of the proceeds to make a $24,000 cash payment for a Tesla Model 3 in Las Vegas, prosecutors said.
In January, Guerra traveled to Portland, Oregon, where he defrauded at least one victim out of $40,000 using the same scheme, investigators said.
Guerra faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the bank fraud charge, and up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine for money laundering, according to federal prosecutors.
He is scheduled to be sentenced June 18 in San Diego.
