PITTSBURGH, PA – Two Las Vegas men, Roderick Feurtado, 56, and Tarek Bouanane, 47, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by a federal jury, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan.
The trial revealed that Feurtado and Bouanane traveled to the Pittsburgh area in September 2021 with the intent to defraud elderly individuals. The co-defendants and their associates contacted potential victims, alleging that a family member needed bail money. Victims were instructed to give cash to a “courier” who would visit them at home. In truth, no family member was detained; the “courier” was a co-conspirator. Tarek Bouanane acted as a courier, while Roderick Feurtado coordinated the activities and collected the proceeds. The defendants intended to convert part of the proceeds to cryptocurrency and share it with other co-conspirators.
Pennsylvania State Police seized approximately $220,000 from the defendants. The scheme led to at least $250,000 in victim losses in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
United States Attorney Olshan remarked that the jury’s verdict brought some justice to the victims and warned others who prey on vulnerable community members. Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia, William S. Walker, commended the cooperative efforts of law enforcement agencies in this case.
The convicted men face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000. Sentencing will take into account the severity of the crimes and any prior criminal history. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey R. Bengel and Michael R. Ball led the prosecution.
Investigations leading to the convictions were conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Bethel Park Police Department.