Couple Convicted of Stealing Millions From Elderly, Disabled, Homeless
Prosecutors said the pair used stolen identities and fake records to obtain more than $13 million for services they never provided.
- On Friday, a Utica jury convicted Jael Watts, 45 of New Jersey, and Luis Pino-Copete, 42 of Colombia, of wire fraud conspiracy for using shell company Pearl Transit Corp to seek more than $13 million in federal funds.
- Pearl Transit Corp claimed to provide services for elderly and disabled individuals but operated without drivers. Between 2019 and 2025, Watts used stolen identities to create fake employment records to seek reimbursements from federal programs.
- The pair received more than $1.6 million from programs in Georgia, California, and North Carolina. Prosecutors said they spent more than $100,000 on Porsche rentals and another $100,000 at luxury clothing store Loro Piana while traveling through Colombia, Aruba, and Europe.
- Auditors at the New York State Department of Transportation became suspicious of invoices in 2024, triggering a federal investigation. Watts was arrested in July 2025, though Pino-Copete continued creating false documents while she remained in jail.
- Facing between two and 20 years in prison, both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in January. Watts was also convicted of five counts of wire fraud and making a false statement.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Operation Thunder Hole: Couple Found Guilty of Exploiting Federal Housing and Transportation Programs
A federal jury convicted Jael Watts and Luis Pino-Copete for orchestrating a USD 13 million scheme targeting federal transportation and housing grants using a shell company. Trial exhibits revealed that the defendants funnelled the stolen federal resources into a luxurious lifestyle, funding extensive international travel throughout 2024 to destinations including Colombia, Aruba, and a four-month stay in Europe. Operation Thunder Hole: Couple Fo…
Scam: Duo Convicted In Transit Scheme That Robbed Aid From California, Georgia, North Carolina, And New Jersey
A federal jury in Utica has convicted a New Jersey woman and her Colombian husband for running a fake transit company that pocketed more than $1.6 million in federal aid intended for the elderly, disabled, and homeless. Jael Watts, 45, of Alloway, New Jersey, and Luis Pino-Copete, 42, of Bogota, Colombia, were found guilty of […] Scam: Duo Convicted In Transit Scheme That Robbed Aid From California, Georgia, North Carolina, And New Jersey
The Daily Hodl
Cryptocurrency News | Cryptocurrency Prices | Market CapNew Jersey Couple Convicted in $13,000,000 Ghost Ride Fraud Aimed at Elderly and Homeless
A New Jersey woman and her Colombian husband have been convicted of running a fake transit company that sought more than $13 million in federal funds meant for elderly, disabled and homeless Americans. A federal jury in Utica, New York, found Jael Watts, 45, of Alloway, and Luis Pino-Copete, 42, of Bogota, Colombia, guilty in […]
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