Jail Time Set for Two More Members of Global Telecom Fraud Scheme

A telecommunications fraud scheme, dubbed Operation Toll Free, has led to two more indictments following an investigation by US authorities and earlier arrests of two people. A US Department of Justice (DoJ) release says Ramon Batista of Florida, and Farintong Calderon of New York, have been sentenced to 75 months and 36 months in prison, respectively, in connection with the international cell phone fraud.

According to the DoJ, the two took part in a scheme that involved opening fraudulent cell phone accounts using stolen personal details of individuals in the US. They then used those accounts to operate thousands of international calls to countries with high calling rates like Jamaica, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, and bill those calls to the victims. Batista allegedly carried out these activities using his telecom company, Arymyx, as a front.

The two defendants sentenced earlier in the same case are Edwin Fana and Jose Santana, who were sentenced to 48 and 52 months in prison, respectively.

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