A Texas man has been handed a lengthy 40-year federal prison sentence for defrauding dozens of individuals under the pretense of being a Delta Force veteran. Saint Jovite Youngblood, also known as Kota Youngblood, from Manor, was convicted on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering, crimes for which he exploited the fear of violence from purported Mexican drug cartels to swindle his victims of over $12 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.
The 52-year-old's scheme involved falsely claiming to protect victims from cartel threats in exchange for money, which he eventually used to gamble away in Las Vegas. Initially promising his victim "investors" hefty returns, the con instead lined his own pockets. Youngblood's arrest came on July 31, 2023, with his subsequent conviction by a federal jury taking place on April 23. Along with his prison sentence, he has been ordered to "pay the full restitution of $12,766,384," per the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
This case highlights the traumatic impact such fraud can have on the lives of the victims involved. "Many of Youngblood’s victims were terrorized thinking their families were in danger; others lost their livelihoods to his schemes. This sentence reflects the despicable nature of Mr. Youngblood's lies and criminal actions," Aaron Tapp, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's San Antonio Field Office, was quoted in the official statement.
"This fraudster developed close relationships with dozens of individuals, building an immense amount of trust seemingly just to destroy their lives financially through elaborate, deceitful misrepresentations," U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza said, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office release. The proceedings were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Matt Harding, who were instrumental in prosecuting Youngblood's case.
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