Lyda Harris, a 75-year-old from Laveen, Arizona, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison today for her role in a large-scale racketeering conspiracy known as the “grandparent scam.” This criminal enterprise engaged in extortion and fraud, swindling over $2 million from more than 70 elderly victims across the country.

According to court documents, members of the criminal group contacted elderly victims by phone, telling them fake stories about their grandchildren and asking for money to pay for bail or medical expenses. Between November 1, 2019, and October 14, 2020, the group managed to obtain money from victims through in-person cash pick-ups, by mail or commercial carriers or via wire transfers. They then laundered the proceeds by converting them from fiat currency to cryptocurrency. Harris was involved in the conspiracy from December 2019 until October 2020, and she was arrested in Albania in August 2021 and extradited to the United States.

Harris’s role in the criminal enterprise was to receive victim proceeds and funnel them for a co-conspirator to convert from fiat currency to cryptocurrency. As a result of her participation, she had to forfeit $6,243 in proceeds and pay $1,208,291.93 in restitution to the victims. The scam affected at least 10 elderly victims from San Diego County, who lost over $300,000. The U.S. Attorney's Office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting fraud committed against elderly adults, and to warn the public about the dangers of elder fraud.

Lyda Harris and the criminal enterprise she was a part of chose to line their pockets at the expense of one of our most vulnerable and trusting populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office.

Six of the eight defendants charged in this case have been sentenced. Two defendants are still fugitives.

The San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, established in February 2021 and believed to be the first comprehensive law enforcement effort for this purpose anywhere in the country, investigated this case. The task force is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the District Attorney’s Office, and all San Diego County law enforcement agencies. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch.

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