United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the sentencing of Rashell Ortiz, a 23-year-old from Grove City, Ohio. Ortiz received a 20-month prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $130,255 in restitution along with a $600 special assessment. The charges stemmed from an advance-fee scheme involving fraudulent sales of high-end handbags and luxury goods.
Ortiz faced indictment in January 2024 on six counts of wire fraud and was convicted on all charges by December of the same year. From October 2019 to November 2021, Ortiz and her boyfriend, Orvil Cataquet Jr., aged 25 from Syracuse, New York, conducted their fraudulent activities via online platforms such as Poshmark and Offer Up. They misrepresented themselves as a young woman selling discounted luxury purses due to a divorce situation.
The couple enticed buyers by offering discounts for transactions through third-party money transfer apps like Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, Google Pay, or PayPal. However, after receiving payments from victims, they failed to deliver the promised goods and eventually cut off contact. Over 300 victims were defrauded out of approximately $130,225. The funds were used to support their lifestyle.
Cataquet Jr. admitted guilt to wire fraud last year and was sentenced in October to 14 months in prison with three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $156,074 in restitution.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Sarah Wolfe.
