F.B.I. Arrests Springs Woman in Sweepstakes Scam

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a Springs woman early Tuesday, charging her with being part of a scheme that used local banks and local addresses to defraud seven elderly people across the country of at least $697,000. The F.B.I. is searching for an East Hampton man and a Hampton Bays woman in connection with the alleged scheme.

Ana P. Leon, 50, also known as Ana P. Gonzalez, was taken into custody at her house at 112 Sycamore Drive in Springs. She was scheduled to be arraigned in front of United States Magistrate Judge Steven A. Locke in the U.S. District Court on Tuesday afternoon. Ivan D. Pelaez, 51, of East Hampton, and Sandra E. Leon, 47, also known as Sandra E. Chavarria, of Hampton Bays, are now on the F.B.I.’s wanted list.

The trio opened multiple bank accounts in Manhattan, Amagansett, and East Hampton, as well as mailing addresses in all three, the United States Eastern District Attorney’s office said in a release on Tuesday.

Using a series of aliases, they then began contacting elderly people across the country, telling them they had won a sweepstakes, according to the complaint filed in court Tuesday by Victor Gerardi, a special agent with the F.B.I. The scam was in operation from September 2012 to June 2014, the complaint says.

The complaint details seven victims, all but one 80 or older. One, who was 90, has since died. It is not clear from the complaint how they selected their victims, who were all living in different states. Agent Gerardi, who has been with the force for over 20 years and specializes in various forms of fraud, said the three would take turns, using a variety of aliases, telling the victims that they were the winners of a sweepstakes. The three used cellphones with the 202 Washington, D.C., area code, frequently stating that they were with government agencies.

Most of the victims were told they had won $3.5 million and needed to pay taxes and fees before they could receive the money. All seven victims complied, sending checks to post office boxes in Amagansett, East Hampton, and Hampton Bays, as well as a Manhattan address.

One victim was taken for $250,000, another, almost $200,000.

The banks at which the three set up accounts were Wells Fargo, Bridgehampton National Bank, Chase, Bank of America, and Citibank.

Investigators from Wells Fargo’s fraud unit became suspicious in the fall of 2013 after a relative of a victim who had paid almost $250,000 to an account in the name of Ana P. Leon contacted the bank. Ms. Leon had given 4 Rowman Court in Springs as her address.

The bank then called the number it had on file for Ms. Leon, who allegedly answered. When she was asked what the money the victim had paid out was being used for, Ms. Leon reportedly said that she couldn’t talk because she was in an airport and hung up. The agent said that the F.B.I. is in possession of video from the bank showing Ms. Leon making a withdrawal from the account in August 2013. It is not clear from the complaint whether the trio closed the account after that or not.

Mr. Pelaez allegedly used a 16 Bay View Drive, East Hampton, address to open a post office box and bank accounts. That property is owned by Olivia Pelaez, according to the complaint.

The specific charges against Ms. Leon were to be unsealed during her Tuesday afternoon arraignment.