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40 YEARS IN PRISON/ Meet the fraudster who posed as a CIA agent

2024-12-09 10:45:06Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

40 YEARS IN PRISON/ Meet the fraudster who posed as a CIA agent

Texas con man sentenced to 40 years in prison for defrauding and falsely threatening victims under the pretext of drug cartels

According to court documents, Saint Jovite Youngblood, also known as Kota Youngblood, 51, is accused of fraud committed through electronic communications, claiming that members of the Mexican drug cartel were planning acts of violence against his victims.

Youngblood falsely claimed to be part of the US Army's elite Special Forces unit, Delta Force, and the CIA.

He offered protection to victims of drug cartels, demanding more than $12 million in return. He also claimed that the funds raised by “investors” would be returned to them with huge profits. In reality, most of the money was used for luxury trips to Las Vegas for gambling.

In total, Youngblood defrauded 32 victims out of over $12 million. He was arrested on July 31, 2023, and found guilty by a federal jury on April 23, 2024.

Los Zetas' false threats

Eric Perardi, a real estate developer from Austin, was one of Youngblood's victims. He cooperated with federal authorities on an undercover operation that led to the fraudster's arrest.

In June 2022, Perardi received a call from Youngblood, who claimed to have urgent information that needed to be delivered in person. Showing up at Perardi’s home, dressed in black cargo pants and Crocs sandals, Youngblood claimed that the notorious Los Zetas cartel had put a “hit” on Perardi and his children. He insisted that they could be kidnapped and killed within the day.

Youngblood offered “immediate protection,” demanding $70,000 to “pay off the cartel.” Perardi, shocked and terrified, wrote him a check on the spot. Over the next few months, Perardi paid Youngblood about $900,000, believing that the money was being used to settle claims with the cartel.

In reality, this was part of a massive scam. One judge called it “the most massive pattern of threats and intimidation I have ever seen,” noting that the scam involved at least 20 victims in Austin and across the country.

Undercover operation and arrest

Working with the FBI, Perardi helped set up an undercover operation at a Carrabba's Italian restaurant in Austin. Equipped with a hidden microphone, Perardi recorded Youngblood continuing to make threats about the cartel and demands for money. Federal documents show that Youngblood was arrested two months later while trying to board a plane for another trip to Las Vegas with $18,000 in casino winnings.

Punishment and restitution

Youngblood was sentenced to 40 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to the victims, totaling $12,766,384. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Jaime Esparza, stated: “This fraudster developed close relationships with dozens of individuals, building a great level of trust only to destroy their lives financially through elaborate fraud.”

This article is the intellectual property of  Borderland Beat. Translated by hashtag.al


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