On Wednesday, Cesar Rafael Coello Dominguez, a Honduran national, was sentenced to a seven-year prison term for his role in an elaborate international telemarketing scheme that defrauded hundreds of Americans. According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Coello Dominguez had previously entered a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
Clayton stated in a press release, "Cesar Rafael Coello Dominguez helped steal millions from victims across the U.S.," and with conviction added, "Yesterday, he learned that the women and men of our Office are committed to prosecuting those who defraud hard-working Americans." The operation, based out of Costa Rica, swindled more than $12 million from over 400 victims, many who were elderly or vulnerable, between September 2019 and January 2023 by touting a non-existent nationwide sweepstakes, which purportedly required victims to pre-pay taxes and fees when really there were no rewards, in store the scheme doubled down by conning the same individuals into thinking they were making amends through further payments.
Dominguez was instrumental in the scheme, repeatedly traveling to the United States to establish shell bank accounts which were used to funnel the ill-gotten gains back to Costa Rica. Along with the prison sentence, he has been hit with three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit the $12 million, and make restitution to those he deceived. The prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgia V. Kostopoulos, was supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
