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Go to SanGabrielSun.com for San Gabriel Specific News MONDAY, DECEMBER 2 - DECEMBER 8, 2019
VOLUME 8, NO. 48
FOUR CHARGED IN “LATIN LOTTO” TICKET SCHEME THAT TARGETED ELDERLY HISPANIC WOMEN
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ne man and two women were scheduled to be arraigned on federal charges of defrauding elderly women by convincing the victims they needed financial assistance to cash purported winning lottery tickets. A federal grand jury indictment returned on November 12 charges a total of four defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in a multi-year scheme that targeted elderly female victims, robbing them of cash and other valuables in a scheme known as the “Latin Lotto Scam.” The three defendants scheduled for arraignment in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles are: • Luisa Camargo, 38; • Mercedes Montanez, 68; and • Tito Lozada, 49. These defendants – all Colombian nationals who reside in the Los Angeles area – were arrested in Long Beach and are being held in federal custody without bond after initially being arrested on state charges filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. After the United States Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint in late October, the three defendants in Los Angeles were transferred to federal custody on November 5. The fourth defendant in this case – Maria Luisa Henao, 43, who recently became a U.S. citizen – was arrested in San Diego and arrived in Los Angeles on November 18, when she was arraigned on the indictment.
- Courtesy photo
Henao pleaded not guilty, was ordered held without bond, and was ordered to stand trial on January 14. The four defendants are linked to at least 11 incidents in which an older woman
was approached by a combination of the defendants who falsely claimed that one of the co-conspirators had a winning lottery ticket and needed help cashing the ticket. As part of the scheme outlined in court
documents, the defendants pretended to call lottery officials, who actually were co-conspirators. The purported lottery officials falsely confirmed to victims that they were looking at winning lottery tickets, but the funds would be released only if a deposit or fee was paid in advance. At that point, another defendant engaged with the victim and, knowing the lottery ticket was worthless, would offer to help cash the ticket. This allegedly served to encourage victims to contribute money or jewelry for the ticket’s deposit or fee. The defendants would then drive the victims to their homes and/or to their banks so the victims could get money and other valuables. The defendants falsely told victims that other people agreed to contribute money to fully fund the ticket’s deposit or fee, and then dropped victims outside a random residence where the defendants falsely claimed the remainder of the funds would be delivered. At that point, the defendants would flee with the victim’s money, jewelry, and other valuables. The indictment specifically charges the defendants with defrauding six victims; however, the Major Theft Task Force in Los Angeles and its partners have linked the defendants to at least 11 incidents since 2017 in the Southern California communities of Long Beach, Maywood,
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Former Member of U.C. Irvine Riverside County Sheriff’s Department San Bernardino Law Board of Directors Sentenced to Arrest Man For Negligent Discharge Enforcement Opposes Order to 170 Years to Life for Molesting Drop Ventura County Rapist Into Of A Stolen Firearm Three Young Girls San Bernardino County A Laguna Niguel girls softball parent volunteer and former member of the University of California, Irvine Board of Directors was sentenced to 170 years to life for molesting three young girls at his home. On October 15, 2019, a jury convicted Glen Thomas Kauffman, 55, of Laguna Niguel of six felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 and three felony counts of sexual penetration of a minor 10 years old or younger.
The molestation occurred between August 2014 and August 2017 at Kauffman’s home. “This predator used his position of trust to prey on these very young and vulnerable children,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Thankfully, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars instead of victimizing innocent children. Deputy District Attorney Courtney Thom prosecuted this case.
Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies assigned to the city of La Quinta responded to the 50600 block of Eisenhower Drive regarding a subject shooting a firearm from the balcony of his residence. Deputies located the apartment in question and contacted Jacob Gerber, 21 of La Quinta, who admitted to firing a handgun from his apartment landing. The
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Jacob Gerber.- Courtesy photo
Ross Leo Wollschlager is a convicted rapist and child molester from Ventura County, California. A Ventura County judge now proposes to drop this declared sexually violent predator into San Bernardino County. San Bernardino County DA Jason Anderson, Sheriff John McMahon, and county law enforcement strongly objects to Joshua Tree being a dumping site for a sexual predator with no connections to our county. San Bernardino County
law enforcement has been notified that a Sexually Violent Predator from Ventura County may be released in Joshua Tree. This person, Ross Leo Wollschlager, has no ties to San Bernardino County. His crimes were committed in Ventura County. His prior grants of outpatient treatment and subsequent revocations of his outpatient status occurred in Ventura
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