UPDATE: Jimmy “Coop” Yimacki was arrested in Nicaragua and extradited to the United States, where he faces up to 20 years in prison.
On March 4, 2025, 23 Canadian nationals were arrested for facilitating a “grandparent scam” between Summer 2021 and June 4, 2024, where
- The scammers would make fraudulent cold calls to elderly Americans falsely claiming that a relative of theirs, usually a grandchid, was arrested after a car crash.
- The victims will be asked to pay “bail money” and be told not to discuss the predicament with other family members due to a nonexistent “gag order.”
The scammers arrested are:
- Andrew Tatto - a 43-year-old kingpin from Pierrefonds, Quebec.
- Stephan Moskwyn - a 42-year-old kingpin from Pierrefonds, Quebec
- Ricky Ylimaki - a 31-year-old kingpin from Notre-Dame-de-l’ile-Perrot, Quebec.
- Usman Khalid - a 36-year-old kingpin from Les Coteaux, Quebec.
- Richard Frischman, a 31-year-old from Montreal, Quebec
- Adam Lawerence, a 41-year-old from Lasalle, Quebec
- Michael Filion, a 45-year-old from Pierrefonds, Quebec
- Nicolas Gonzalez, a 27-year-old from Kirkland, Quebec
- Ryan Melanson, a 27-year-old from Montreal, Quebec
- Joy Kalafatidis, a 31-year-old from Pointe-Claire, Quebec
- David Arcobelli, a 36-year-old from Pierrefonds, Quebec
- Jonathan Massouras, a 35-year-old from Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Quebec
- Nicholas Shioumi, a 42-year-old from Montreal, Quebec.
- Antonio Iannacci, a 33-year-old from Pierrefonds, Quebec
- Jonathen Ouelett, a 29-year-old from Saint-Eustache, Quebec
- Kassey-Lee Lankford, a 28-year-old from Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
- Sara Burns, a 31-year-old from Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Quebec
- Justin Polenz, a 34-year-old from Montreal, Quebec.
- Ryan Thibert, a 37-year-old from Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
- Michael Farella, a 29-year-old from Sainte-Genevieve, Quebec
- Sebastian Guenole, a 30-year-old from Pierrefonds, Quebec
- Ryan Bridgman, a 37-year-old from Deux-Montagnes, Quebec
- Stephanie-Marie Samaras, a 29-year-old from Laval, Quebec.
Two other individuals are at large:
- Gareth “Buddy/Muscles” West - a 38-year-old kingpin from Burlington, Ontario.
- Jimmy “Coop” Ylimaki, a 35-year-old from Notre-Dame-de-l’ile-Perrot, Quebec
All of the scammers face charges for conspiring to commit money laundering. The kingpins face a maximum of 40 years in prison and the remaining defendants face up to 20 years.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/us/grandparent-scam-canada-us-fraud.html
