TYLER, Texas — A Shreveport, Louisiana woman has pleaded guilty for her role in an elder fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
According to information presented in court, Monica Ruiz, 45, enlisted a variety of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises in a scheme to defraud an elderly victim from Bullard.
Among the various misrepresentations Ruiz made in order to obtain money from the victim were the following:
- That Ruiz had been in a coma
- That Ruiz had brain surgery
- That Ruiz was falsely arrested and imprisoned
- That Ruiz had bribed a judge and prosecutor
- That Ruiz’s son died in a car accident in Pennsylvania
- That Ruiz was in a car accident
- That Ruiz had a kidney transplant
- That Ruiz’s daughter was committed to a mental institution
- That Ruiz was incarcerated
- That Ruiz’s grandmother died
At times, Ruiz impersonated other people in communications with the victim. At other times, she created and used false personas in communications with the victim. Over the course of her scheme, Ruiz obtained more than $4.85 million from the victim.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ruiz with federal violations on Nov. 19, 2020. Under federal statutes, Ruiz faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
