Organizer Pleads Guilty in $36 Million Transnational Elder Fraud Money Laundering Scheme
A woman described by U.S. prosecutors as an organizer in a transnational fraud network has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in a scheme that stole more than $36 million from more than 400 Americans, most of them elderly.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said on September 15 that Juliet Mora, 42, who resides in Nicaragua and formerly lived in Hayward, California, entered the guilty plea on September 14. The case forms part of an investigation into a fraud organization operating across the United States and several Latin American countries.
According to court documents cited by prosecutors, members of the organization posed as attorneys and contacted elderly timeshare owners and previous fraud victims. They falsely told victims they were entitled to restitution or other payments. Victims were induced to sign fake representation agreements and non-disclosure agreements and then pay purported fees.
The funds were sent by check and wire transfer to shell companies controlled by U.S.-based co-conspirators. Prosecutors said members of the organization created shell companies and bank accounts to move victim money and misrepresented the nature and purpose of their activity to financial institutions in an effort to evade anti-money laundering controls.
Mora became involved in the scheme in August 2021. Prosecutors said she maintained shell companies and received more than $1.56 million in victim funds, while investigators traced approximately $2.75 million in stolen funds directly to accounts she controlled. She allegedly lied to banks about the source and nature of the funds and reopened accounts after previous accounts had been closed for suspicious activity.
After moving to Nicaragua, Mora became an organizer in the operation, according to the Justice Department. She communicated with U.S.-based co-conspirators, directed the receipt and transfer of victim funds, instructed others to open shell companies and prepare documents used in the fraud, and used email accounts for fictitious paralegals to communicate with victims.
Mora was arrested in December 2025 after arriving at Boston Logan International Airport from Panama City. The broader investigation has involved arrests in the United States and Latin America. In October 2025, investigators arrested 15 U.S.-based defendants across four states and seized more than $2.1 million in victim funds. Other defendants later were apprehended in Nicaragua and Mexico and returned to the United States. Three defendants remain at large, according to prosecutors.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and Bakersfield Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Truckee Police Department.
Mora is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2026. She faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the amount laundered if that amount is greater. The final sentence will be determined by the court.
Source
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California — September 15, 2026
