Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Elderly Victims

Hector Claveria, 51, wired funds overseas to conceal the origins of money obtained through elder and computer fraud

NEWARK, N.J. — A New York man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for laundering the proceeds of fraudulent schemes that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced on March 26, 2025.

Hector Claveria, 51, of Elmhurst, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court after pleading guilty to one count of international money laundering, specifically Count Two of an indictment.

Court documents and statements presented during the proceedings reveal that Claveria operated as a money mule in early 2020, collecting multiple packages containing cash derived from illegal schemes. In June 2020, Claveria wired $20,000 from a U.S.-based bank account to a foreign account, knowing the funds stemmed from criminal activity and intending to conceal their origins.

The laundered money was linked to two fraudulent schemes:

1. An elder fraud scheme in which perpetrators deceived elderly victims into believing they owed money to government agencies or private companies, prompting them to send cash to designated locations.

2. A computer fraud scheme in which victims were tricked into believing they owed money to a tech services firm and were directed to send payments to locations selected by the fraudsters.

At the time of the wire transfer, Claveria knew the transaction was meant to hide the nature and source of the funds.

In addition to the prison term, Claveria was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $20,000.

The investigation was led by special agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chana Zuckier of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit, and Jennifer Kozar of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.