Former Jacksonville man pleads guilty in nationwide travel scheme, stealing nearly $800,000

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Words similar “allegedly” oregon “suspected” are nary longer needed arsenic we proceed to archer the communicative of Juan Arteaga, the antheral astatine the halfway of an I-TEAM probe that began astir 3 years ago. The 58-year-old admitted successful a Jacksonville national courtroom Wednesday to orchestrating a nationwide question strategy to instrumentality hundreds of thousands of dollars from friends, concern contacts, and referrals. He promised to publication discounted trips and vacations but instead, spent wealth helium took from customers connected himself.

The I-TEAM’s archetypal probe into Arteaga was successful January 2019 erstwhile one household recounted however they mislaid thousands of dollars whey they paid Arteaga currency up beforehand for a household reunion cruise that was ne'er really booked.

Following our archetypal story, dozens of others from astir the state reached retired to the I-TEAM with akin stories. Families, couples, and individuals told america however Arteaga required them to wage him successful advance to person large discounts connected things similar flights, hotels, amusement parkland tickets and luxury vacations but their trips were ne'er booked, and their wealth wasn’t returned.

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Some said they adjacent received their itineraries from Arteaga, truthful they had nary thought determination were immoderate issues until they tried to cheque successful astatine the airport, oregon their hotel, oregon their cruise vessel – wherever they learned they didn’t person reservations, and thing had been paid for.

A authorities probe aboriginal led to a national 1 led by the FBI, and past month, Arteaga was charged with ligament fraud – a complaint helium admitted to Wednesday.

Court documents outlined however -- opening astatine slightest arsenic aboriginal arsenic March 2018 and done astatine slightest January 2019 -- Arteaga operated arsenic a question agent, contempt not being licensed. He received payments from victims done checks and ligament transfers and spent that wealth connected things similar recognition paper bills, his mortgage, nursing location expenses and short-term loans.

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The authorities said helium was capable to propulsion disconnected this “sham” question cognition for arsenic agelong arsenic helium did due to the fact that helium operated a pyramid-type strategy -- utilizing funds from immoderate victims to acquisition question arrangements for different victims.

When the justice asked Arteaga if this is what helium did, Arteaga replied “yes.” When asked if helium acted with an intent to defraud, Arteaga replied “yes.”

The circumstantial lawsuit starring to the complaint of ligament fraud progressive longtime friends of Arteaga who started talking with him successful 2018 astir booking an around-the-world travel done Road Scholar. The mates had antecedently booked question done Arteaga, and helium told them the travel would outgo astir $100,000, but if they paid him the adjacent day, helium could get it for $60,000. Prosecutors said Arteaga told them to wage him $20,000, breached into 5 cheque payments, and ligament the remaining $40,000 to him.

Months later, the mates checked with Road Scholar to spot if their travel had been booked. They were told it had not, and besides learned that the travel supplier didn’t supply immoderate discounts, including to question agents. Prosecutors said Arteaga utilized their wealth to marque question arrangements for different victims and himself, arsenic good arsenic to repay different question victims.

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Nearly 7 afloat pages of the plea agreement are devoted to listing the victims of the scheme, identifying them by their initials, on with the minimum amounts they are owed successful restitution. The amounts ranged from astatine slightest $300 to astatine slightest $23,862. In all, Arteaga volition beryllium astatine slightest $779,000 successful restitution to the victims.

Meantime, the justice granted Arteaga a $10,000 unsecured enslaved – which means helium didn’t person to travel up with immoderate wealth for his release. As portion of his enslaved conditions, the justice ordered Arteaga to surrender his passport, and bounds his question to the court’s Middle District of Florida, which includes Jacksonville, arsenic good arsenic parts of Texas, which is wherever Arteaga present lives.

The I-TEAM peppered Arteaga with questions arsenic helium was leaving the courthouse, but helium refused to answer, and shielded his look arsenic helium walked respective blocks done downtown with his attorney.

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At sentencing, Arteaga faces up to 20 years successful prison, a good of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. A day for sentencing has not yet been set.

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