SAN DIEGO (CN) - Four extortionists were sentenced to federal prison Monday for taking $190,000 from Latino families by demanding ransom for kidnappings that never took place.
Defendants Ruth Graciela Raygoza, Maria Del Carmen Pulido Contreras, Adrian Jovan Rocha and Jonathan Rocha pleaded guilty in July 2014 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money.
The ring targeted Mexican and Central American families who were not U.S. citizens, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. They called people across the United States and claimed to be holding a family member of loved one captive, and demanded thousands of dollars in ransom to be sent by MoneyGram or Western Union.
Raygoza, 64, of Chula Vista, was sentenced to 40 months.
Pulido Contreras, 43, of Los Angeles, got 21 months, as did Jovan Rocha, 27, of Tijuana.
Jonathan Rocha, 24, of Tijuana, got 14½ months.
Read the Top 8
Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday.
Additional Reads
-
Six Capitol rioters sentenced, one receives prison time December 10, 2021 -
Extortion Ring Broken Up July 2, 2014