A Texas woman was convicted of stealing US$2,000 (RM8,754) from a San Jose couple in what turned out to be a world Pomeranian pet rip-off.
Elizabeth Montes, 44, of San Antonio, was convicted of felony conspiracy and theft and faces six months in county jail for her half in a web-based deal to ship a “cute teacup Pomeranian named Jake”, to the couple, in accordance to a press launch issued Tuesday by the District Attorney of Santa Clara County, which prosecuted the case.
As it turned out, Jake didn’t exist. The website online that promised to ship him was traced by investigators to Cameroon, as half of an ongoing alleged rip-off.
As the American conduit, Montes opened accounts at varied on-line banks and transferred funds for puppies bought by means of web sites like skylightpomeranian.com and Trans-Pet Express, prosecutors mentioned.
Bank information uncovered in the course of the investigation revealed Montes to be concerned in fund transfers of some 75 victims, none of whom had acquired their puppies as promised, in accordance to the DA’s workplace.
“Con artists all over the world are using love and loneliness during Covid to steal people’s money,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen mentioned, in a assertion. “We are finding the crooks. We are prosecuting the crooks. You pay for Jake, you get Jake.”
The case started in April, 2020, when the couple despatched US$600 (RM2,626) to buy Jake by means of Trans-Pet Express. They subsequent acquired a request for an extra US$1,400 (RM6,127) to keep away from having the pet positioned in 14-day Covid-19 quarantine.
That appeared affordable so that they wired the funds, prosecutors mentioned. Only after they acquired a third request, for US$1,300 (RM5,690) to pay for a allow did the couple get clever and report it to police.
In April, 2021, a warrant was issued for Montes’ arrest. She was positioned in Texas on the time.
Facing extradition, she turned herself in on the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office on Dec 10, 2020. She was launched on her personal recognizance and pleaded responsible on March 14, prosecutors mentioned.
The case was dealt with by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations Unit. Montes is scheduled for sentencing on Oct 11. – San Francisco Chronicle/Tribune News Service
