A man from the Miami area has been arrested in Florida for his alleged involvement in a fraud scheme targeting elderly victims. Michael P. Garcia, 36, was indicted on December 18, 2024, by the U.S. District Court in St. Louis with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
According to the indictment, conspirators contacted victims with false claims to obtain cash or valuables. In one instance, they posed as representatives from a victim's financial institution and convinced her that her accounts were compromised and being used illegally. Victims were then instructed to hand over money to stop this supposed illegal activity.
Garcia is accused of recruiting and paying a courier who collected $20,000 in cash and gold bars from two victims in Brooklyn, New York on October 30, 2023. The same courier reportedly picked up another $30,000 two days later. Additionally, Garcia allegedly sent the courier to Summerfield, North Carolina in November 2023 to collect gold bars from another victim. That month also saw Garcia sending the courier to retrieve approximately $200,000 in gold bars from a 76-year-old victim in Fenton, Missouri who had already given $20,000 in cryptocurrency.
The FBI conducted the investigation leading to Garcia's arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is handling the prosecution of this case.
It should be noted that charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt; every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Garcia will be transported to St. Louis for trial proceedings.
