Mich. federal judge sentences Fla. man to 6.5 years for defrauding seniors

A Florida man was sentenced to prison for his role in a scheme to defraud senior citizens in Michigan and other states from 2020 through 2022, authorities said.

Jorrel Tyler Jackson, 31, of Seffner, Fla., was ordered by a federal judge to serve 6.5 years, Mark Totten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, said in a statement Thursday.

The judge also ordered Jackson to pay $1,584,077 in restitution to the scheme's 22 victims, he said.

"Crimes that exploit seniors can be devastating, depriving victims of their savings, their independence, and their dignity," Totten said. "My office will vigorously pursue criminals who target the elderly and other vulnerable citizens in Michigan."

In his sentencing memorandum to the court, Jackson's attorney, Mark O'Brien, said his client "has numerous co-defendants and co-conspirators and he certainly is at the bottom level of this conspiracy." O'Brien is with O'Brien Hatfield PA and is based in Tampa, Fla.

His memo said Jackson only earned about $45,000 for his part in the conspiracy. It also mentioned Jackson began consuming marijuana at age 10 and increased using it after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident.

"At the conclusion of his sentencing hearing, Mr. Jackson accepted the court’s sentence with humility and grace," the attorney told The Detroit News Friday in an email. "While Mr. Jackson’s monetary gain was only .04 percent of the net monetary gain of the entire conspiracy, he will do his level best to contribute to his victims’ losses going forward. I am pleased the court listened carefully to my legal arguments and reduced my client’s sentence from what was expected by court observers."

Jackson is among seven defendants accused of defrauding seniors and charged last year. The others charged were: Pragneshbhai Patel of Amityville, N.Y.; Everette Jhmal Thibou of Tampa, Fla.; Jayesh Panchal of Hicksville, N.Y.; Vijaya Shetty of Jackson Heights, N.Y.; Jmyla Elaine Sha’taria White of Thonotosassa, Fla.; and Mckhaela Katelynn McNamara of Flint.

Officials said five of the seven, including Jackson, have entered guilty pleas.

Totten's office said the FBI, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security in Louisiana investigated the case.

Authorities said the group sent pop-up ads or messages to victims on their computers warning a virus infected their devices and urging them to call a number for help.

Victims would call and speak to someone claiming to work for a tech company, such as Microsoft or Apple, according to investigators.

However, the people they reached were scammers in India who would scare victims into giving them money with various ruses, officials said.

Federal investigators said victims would give suspects money in face-to-face meetings with people posing as federal agents, mailing boxes of cash to addresses they were given, making wire transfers to the scammers' bank accounts or giving them gift cards.

Two defendants, Panchal and McNamara, made six trips to Lake County to meet with a victim and collect $398,000 in fraud proceeds from her, officials said.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

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