SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A California man, 46-year-old Fabrisio Arias, was sentenced Friday to 41 months in federal prison for his involvement in a widespread international fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims across the United States, the Department of Justice announced in a press release.
The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta, who also ordered Arias to pay restitution of $395,536.05 to 22 victims who fell prey to the scam.
Arias, who resided in the city of Fontana, was part of a larger conspiracy that defrauded seniors by tricking them into believing they had won a sweepstakes prize. Victims were told they needed to pay a fee or tax before they could claim their purported winnings. Between November 2020 and September 2022, Arias helped launder the ill-gotten proceeds by receiving funds at his home and moving them through U.S.-based bank accounts…