No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeThree North Americans receive jail time for Costa Rica-based telemarketing scam

Three North Americans receive jail time for Costa Rica-based telemarketing scam

Two U.S. citizens and a Canadian were sentenced to prison for their participation in a telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica.

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the three individuals received the following sentences from Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. of the Western District of North Carolina:

  • Donald Dodt, 76, originally of Cleveland, Ohio: 90 months in prison.
  • Thomas Sniffen, 58, originally of Peekskill, New York: 114 months in prison.
  • Michael Saxon, 50, originally of Ontario, Canada: 75 months in prison.

The scheme — which defrauded primarily elderly U.S. citizens of approximately $11 million — involved Dodt, Sniffen and Saxon falsely posing as federal workers and telling victims they had won a large “sweepstakes” prize, according to the DOJ.

The trio used Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to appear to victims as if they were calling from Washington D.C. and other U.S. locations.

“After convincing victims that they stood to receive a significant financial reward, the members of the conspiracy told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front cash payments before collecting, purportedly for items like insurance fees, taxes and import fees,” the Department of Justice says.

Dodt and Sniffen were arrested by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Police in 2017 after receiving warrants issued by Interpol.

U.S. officials filed extradition requests to try them in North Carolina.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Marks National Parks Day with Free Entry This Sunday

As everyone knows by now, our country stands out for its strong focus on protecting the environment. It leads in conservation efforts, manages its...

Panama Canal Warns of Traffic Decline as Economic Uncertainty Grows

The Panama Canal will take in about $400 million less in the next fiscal year due to a drop in ship traffic caused by...

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...

Costa Rica’s Role in US Deportation Drama with Salvadoran Migrant

A Salvadoran man at the center of a heated US immigration battle could end up in Costa Rica if he accepts a guilty plea,...

Nicaragua Hosts Historic 2025 AmeriCup Basketball Tournament

The 2025 AmeriCup, the men’s basketball Copa América, tips off this Friday in Nicaragua, marking the most significant international sporting event in the country’s...

Costa Rica President Confronts Calls to Strip Immunity

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced today an “attempted judicial coup” as he appeared before a congressional committee that must recommend to the full...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica