Gareth West, suspected as the ringleader of a group of fraudsters targeting elderly Americans in a grandparent scam, has been apprehended. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested West in Quebec on Friday at the request of American authorities, who have charged him with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, as confirmed by an RCMP spokesperson to CBC.
West was taken into custody in Saint-Colomban, Que., a town located approximately 70 kilometers northeast of Montreal. The arrest was executed by an RCMP emergency response team specially trained for high-risk situations, and West did not resist, according to the RCMP spokesperson.
Following his arrest, West appeared in court on both Saturday and Monday. Extradition proceedings are set to continue later this month, and he is currently being held in custody. CBC previously reported on West’s alleged criminal enterprise last month, describing a sophisticated grandparent scam network operating out of multiple call centers in the Montreal area, with West portraying himself as a successful real estate developer.
In a separate incident last year, authorities raided multiple locations across Montreal where West’s associates were engaging in scam calls targeting elderly individuals in Virginia, according to a U.S. court indictment. Subsequently, in early March, 23 individuals linked to the scam were arrested by RCMP officers, with West managing to evade capture for several months.
A confidential source disclosed that in early March, West was briefly staying at a residence in Burlington, Ont. However, when law enforcement officers visited the property, West was not present as it was undergoing renovations. The source indicated that West had moved to a nearby rental property, but by the time officers arrived there, he had fled.
An additional suspect in the scam operation, Jimmy Ylimaki, is currently evading authorities. If West is extradited to the U.S. and found guilty, he could potentially face a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.