Gareth West, accused by U.S. authorities of orchestrating a $30 million grandparent scam targeting American seniors, was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Quebec on Friday. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Investigations revealed West ran a sophisticated scam network operating out of multiple call centers in the Montreal area. West portrayed himself as a wealthy real estate developer while employing dozens of people to make fraudulent calls to elderly victims in Virginia.
In early March, RCMP arrested 23 individuals involved in the scam. However, West evaded capture for several months, reportedly staying in rental homes in Ontario while avoiding police.
The scam network continues to have one fugitive member, Jimmy Ylimaki, who remains at large.
West is scheduled to appear in Quebec Superior Court and, if extradited and convicted in the U.S., could face up to 40 years in prison.
