RI Elderly Reportedly Targeted In Multi-State Grandparent Scam

PROVIDENCE, RI — A New York man is accused of defrauding elderly victims out of hundreds of dollars in a grandparent scam.

Jean-Richard Audate, 35, was indicted on federal fraud charges by a Rhode Island grand jury.

Victims included residents of several states, including Rhode Island. Audate, resident of a Jamaica, New York, reportedly had temporary residences in New Haven, Connecticut, and Brookline, Massachusetts, during the scam, authorities said.

Audate and others involved in the scheme are accused of calling elderly people and pretending to be their grandchild or an attorney representing a grandchild, Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha's Office said. The caller would say that the family member had been arrested in another state or was in financial or legal trouble, and that the grandparent had to send a cash payment urgently to pay for legal fees or other fines. The caller would then say to send the cash via the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx.

New Haven police started receiving calls from departments in other states in January 2021, including Rhode Island, saying that elderly victims had been defrauded out of large amounts of money, Cunha's office said. Police were able to trace the addresses to several near each other in New Haven, including the Airbnb where Audate was reportedly staying, authorities said. Audate would pick the packages up from these addresses, the FBI said, with amounts ranging from $7,900 to $150,000 in cash.

The indictment charged Audate with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He was arraigned Thursday and released on $10,000 bond.