Save Our Seniors: US Attorney Announces Arrests and Prosecution of Eight Defendants for Senior Citizen Exploitation

Strategic Insights -

US Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the launch of an effort known as Save our Seniors (SOS), which targets defendants who prey on and defraud senior citizens. The initiative has resulted in the arrest of eight defendants in seven different criminal complaints, with the defendants responsible for over $11,053,989 in actual and attempted losses, impacting over 139 victims.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SOS initiative was launched in April 2025, with a working group comprised of law enforcement agencies and organizations from the Western District of New York and beyond.
  • The eight defendants arrested as part of the SOS initiative are accused of exploiting senior citizens through various scams, including romance scams, customer support scams, and tech support scams.
  • The defendants are accused of targeting senior citizens from the Western District of New York and other jurisdictions, with losses and attempted losses totaling over $11,053,989.
  • The defendants have a history of prior convictions, with several having been convicted of crimes related to fraud, money laundering, and identity theft.
  • The SOS initiative is a collaborative effort to target senior citizen exploitation, with the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York leading the charge.
  • The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, with additional assistance from the US Attorney's Offices in the Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of New Jersey, and Northern District of Ohio.

Statistics:

  • 8 defendants arrested as part of the SOS initiative
  • 7 criminal complaints filed against the defendants
  • $11,053,989 in actual and attempted losses
  • 139 victims impacted
  • 12 victims defrauded by Dhruv Patel alone
  • $175,000 stolen from one victim in a retirement account hacking scam via Christopher Hernandez
  • 50 $1.000 Postal Money Orders altered and deposited by Estermarie Jones
  • 31 fraudulent or stolen identification cards, 4 fraudulent or stolen Social Security cards, and 65 fraudulent or stolen bank cards possessed by Estermarie Jones

Sources:

  • US FBI ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that an effort known as Save our Seniors, which targets defendants who prey on and defraud senior citizens, has resulted in the arrest of eight defendants in seven different criminal complaints.
  • National Post