Canadian man sentenced in $3 million Grandparent scam targeting Kentucky seniors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The last man involved in a widespread grandparent scam that targeted seniors in Kentucky and across the U.S. is headed to prison.

In a news release Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky said Phillipe Gravel-Nadon, 35, of Canada, was sentenced to just more than 5 years in federal prison and ordered to $963,290 in restitution.

According to court documents, callers would convince senior victims that their grandchild or other family member had an emergency, usually a car accident. The scammers would ask for money for the fake victims.

Federal officials said the scammers would pose as "couriers" and collect cash from victims at home, and others would launder the criminal proceeds through banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Victims in Kentucky lost more than $3 million in the nationwide scam from August 2020 to May 2021.

U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner said such schemes are becoming increasingly more prevalent across the country.

"We will do everything in our power to identify the perpetrators of these frauds and hold them to account," Bumgarner said in a statement. "I would caution the public to be skeptical of any phone call that presents you with an urgent situation that can be remedied by an immediate payment of money. Those requests are generally a fraud, and you should have the courage to hang up the phone when the caller pushes you even harder for money."

Five other defendants previously entered guilty pleas and have already been sentenced for wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.

Maned wolf returns, new giraffe arrives at Louisville Zoo

VIDEO | Kentucky state trooper repeatedly tased, maced unarmed man after traffic stop