2 Minnesotans found guilty for role in $300 million telemarketing scam
MINNEAPOLIS — A jury found three people, including two Minnesotans, guilty Monday for their role in a $300 million telemarketing scheme that targeted the elderly.
Tashena Crump, 39, of Minneapolis, Ballam Dudley, 37, of Plymouth, and Amondo Miller, 47, of Littleton, Colorado, knowingly conspired with at least 40 others to carry out a telemarketing scheme that began in at least as far back as the year 2000, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
Miller, Crump and Dudley would call victims who had one or more existing magazine subscriptions and offer to renew the subscriptions, often at a reduced cost. They would trick victims into signing up for an entirely new magazine subscription.
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According to court documents, some victims were fraudulently billed by as many as 10 companies at a time, receiving more than $1,000 in monthly magazine subscription charges.
The scheme allegedly defrauded over 150,000 victims nationwide and is one of the nation's largest elder fraud schemes.
The defendants were found guilty of multiple counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud.
Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.
