Three Accused of Running Extortion Scam From San Diego and LA Counties

Two men and two women were accused in federal court in San Diego today of extorting thousands of dollars from families across the nation by making ransom demands for nonexistent kidnappings.

Facing fraud and conspiracy counts in the case are Maria Del Carmen Pulido Contreras, 42, of Los Angeles; Ruth Graciela Raygoza, 63, of Chula Vista; and Tijuana residents Adrian Jovan Rocha, 25, and Jonathan Rocha, 23.

The Rochas' familial relationship, if any, was unclear.

According to a grand jury indictment, unnamed co-conspirators of the defendants contacted families in Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia and elsewhere and claimed to be holding relatives of the targeted people captive.

On one occasion, a caller threatened to harm or kill a supposedly abductee unless payments were wired to locations in San Diego and Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In many of the cases, the perpetrators claimed to have smuggled the victims' relatives from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and other locations into the United States and would not release them without ransom.

The extortion victims generally were instructed to send between $1,500 and $4,000. The defendants then would allegedly pick up the money and send or deliver it to other conspirators in Mexico.

In one instance, one of the conspirators unwittingly spoke to a federal agent posing as the son of a kidnap victim, according to the indictment.

During the phone conversation, the caller threatened to kill the supposedly kidnapped father unless $700 was wired to "A. Jovan Rocha" in San Diego.

The same day, Adrian Rocha allegedly picked up the money, which had been sent by the undercover investigator.

A detention hearing in the case was scheduled for Thursday morning.

-- City News Service