The largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history has been announced by federal officials in Portland, including U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams, Attorney General William P. Barr, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office, this year, prosecutors charged more than 400 defendants, far surpassing the 260 defendants charged in cases as part of last year’s sweep. In each case, offenders allegedly engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors. In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused alleged losses of over a billion dollars.
Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting nearly 10% of older Americans every year. According to Williams, together with federal, state, local, and tribal partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is steadfastly committed to combating all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, victim services, and public awareness.