By Canadian Press

Montreal man sentenced to 10 years in U.S. for ‘massive’ telemarketing scheme

Aug 13, 2024 | 1:22 PM

MONTREAL — A Montreal man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Pennsylvania judge for operating a telemarketing scheme that defrauded American seniors of millions of dollars.

Ari Tietolman was extradited from Canada to the United States last year and pleaded guilty in January to three counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.

The 50-year-old Tietolman ran his fraud from Montreal between 2005 and 2014, according to a news release today from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

It says his team of telemarketers sold worthless or non-existent fraud protection services, prescription drug discount cards and discounted legal services to tens of thousands of U.S. seniors.

The telemarketers often told their victims they were calling on behalf of their bank, their insurance company or the U.S. government, and sometimes said the products were free or less expensive than the amount that was eventually taken from their bank accounts.

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Tietolman, who was first charged in 2017, has also been ordered to pay US$7 million in restitution to his victims.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press