Five from New York indicted for defrauding elderly victim in Ohio

A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging Haki Toplica, 24, Luisa Rivera Goris, 22, Kathryn Lissette De La Torre, 24, Haider Islam, 21, and Robert Rosso, 27, all of New York, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property.

The defendants conspired to defraud and take money and property from a 69-year-old victim in Ohio by making false statements regarding fictitious fees and costs associated with purported loans by collecting money from the victim, and obtaining titles to property owned by the victim. This took place between June 2018 through  about September 26, 2018, according to the indictment.

For example, Toplica told the victim around June 2018 that in order to obtain a $475,000 loan to pay off his creditors, the victims would have to pay fees associated with the loan via wire. The loan fees were fictitious, according to the indictment.

A month later, Toplica told the victim the victim would have to pay a $100,000 fee to obtain a $3 million loan. There was no loan, according to the indictment.

In August 2018, the victim signed over approximately 55 vehicles and equipment to Toplica to secure a $10 million loan that did not exist, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique

to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.