PHILADELPHIA, PA — United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ari Tietolman, a 50-year-old resident of Montréal, Canada, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentencing, which took place on August 13, 2024, by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh, also includes three years of supervised release, a restitution order of $7,042,898.22, and a $700 special assessment.
Tietolman’s elaborate scheme, which spanned nearly a decade from 2005 to 2014, defrauded tens of thousands of American senior citizens through deceptive telemarketing practices. Charged in 2017 by superseding indictment with three counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering, Tietolman was extradited from Canada to the United States in 2023. He pleaded guilty to all seven counts in January 2024.
Operating from Montréal, Tietolman orchestrated a network of telemarketers who sold worthless or non-existent services. These services included fraudulent fraud protection, a prescription drug discount card, and discounted legal services. Telemarketers, often based in “boiler rooms” in Montréal and at least one in India, misrepresented their affiliations, claiming to be from banks, insurance companies, or the U.S. government to deceive their targets.
Tietolman’s operation involved telemarketers who misled consumers about the necessity and cost of these fake products. They often debited victims’ bank accounts without consent, despite assurances that no charges would be made. To conceal his involvement, Tietolman used front companies, nominees, remotely created checks, and structured deposits. He also instructed his co-schemer, Marc Roy Ferry, to “hammer” bank accounts by depositing numerous checks before the accounts were closed due to detected fraud.
U.S. Attorney Romero condemned Tietolman’s actions, stating, “Specifically targeting the elderly because you consider them easy prey is deplorable. My office and our partners at the FBI and IRS-CI are determined to hold criminals like Tietolman accountable and protect older folks from these callous crooks seeking to take advantage of them.”
The FBI and IRS-CI were instrumental in investigating the case. Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, emphasized the severity of the crime: “For nearly a decade, Ari Tietolman scammed senior citizens across the country out of their life’s savings, even stooping so low as to sell his victims purported services that would protect them from fraud.”
Tietolman’s co-defendants, Marc Roy Ferry and Adam Harper, have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Eric D. Gill, with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs facilitating Tietolman’s arrest and extradition.
This sentencing marks a significant victory in the fight against fraud targeting senior citizens, underscoring the commitment of U.S. authorities to protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation.
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