A Peruvian national has pleaded guilty to participating in a transnational fraud scheme that targeted Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States. David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, of Lima, Peru, was involved in mail and wire fraud schemes that defrauded millions from victims across the country.
Court documents reveal that Cornejo provided essential services to fraudulent call centers based in Peru. These services included Internet-based telephone lines, caller-ID spoofing, and recording capabilities. The call centers used these tools to impersonate federal agents and other officials, threatening victims with legal actions to extort payments.
Cornejo is the 13th person convicted in connection with this $15 million scheme. The fraud operation falsely claimed victims would face severe consequences if they did not pay for English-language products. More than 30,000 U.S. consumers were affected by this scam.
"This guilty plea marks another important victory in our relentless pursuit of transnational fraudsters who impersonate U.S. government officials to exploit vulnerable Spanish-speaking communities across the United States," said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O'Byrne for the Southern District of Florida.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate emphasized the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting U.S. consumers from such schemes: "Those who target American consumers from abroad will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable for their crimes."
Acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo stated that Cornejo's network created a campaign of fear designed to rob people not only of their savings but also their peace of mind.
Cornejo admitted his role in manipulating phone numbers on caller IDs and placing fake recordings on inbound lines to enhance the legitimacy of threatening calls. He regularly replaced telephone numbers reported as fraudulent by victims.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison at his sentencing hearing scheduled for September 25 before Senior U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola in Miami.
The case was investigated by USPIS and the Consumer Protection Branch with prosecution led by Phil Toomajian and Carolyn Rice of the Consumer Protection Branch, alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda handling asset forfeiture.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, support is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
More information about elder fraud prevention can be found on various Justice Department web pages including its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.
