A Carson man who was a central figure in an international fraud and money-laundering network that used romance scams and elder fraud to rake in millions of dollars was sentenced today in Los Angeles to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Valentine Iro, 34, was handed a 135-month prison term by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered Iro to pay $1.39 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Iro, the lead defendant in a 252-count federal grand jury indictment that charged 80 defendants, pleaded guilty in October 2020 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He has been in federal custody since August 2019.
``This case is part of our multi-prong approach to protect Americans from attempts to steal their money through elaborate scams being perpetrated around the world,'' U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.
``Through lies and deceit, these fraud artists try to fleece businesses and individuals, including the elderly and vulnerable. This case demonstrates that we can and will identify, charge, and prosecute fraudsters and their money laundering accomplices, no matter how far across the world their criminal network may stretch.''