2 Men Accused Of Ripping Off Westlake, Other Ohio Elderly

WESTLAKE, OH — Two Florida men have been accused of running a grandparent scam in Ohio, prosecutors announced Friday.

John Tyler Pla, 25, and Johnny Lee Palmer, 25, both of Tampa, have been accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

“Protecting our district’s elderly and vulnerable populations from scammers and fraudsters is an important part of the work we do every day at the Justice Department,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “Manipulating and exploiting our district’s elderly in any way, for any reason, will be met with swift prosecution.”

Between July 20, 2020 and Aug. 28, 2020, Pla and Palmer worked together to run a grandparent scam on elderly victims in Brecksville, Parma, Gates Mills, Lorain, Mansfield, Fairview Park, Westlake and Mentor, the indictment said.

The duo would call elderly residents, claim to be their grandson, or an attorney for their grandson, and tell them they needed money for bail, prosecutors said.

Pla and Palmer rented a U-Haul and then collected the money in-person, the indictment said. The Northeast Ohio victims lost more than $383,000 combined, prosecutors said.

"These scammers demonstrate the ever-increasing need to watch over and protect our elderly population,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The FBI encourages everyone to educate their elderly family and friends on financial scams such as this. These two fraudsters played on the heart-strings of grandparents. Discussions prior to receiving a possible phone call from scammers can prevent your loved one from being a victim."