Telemarketing ‘Prize’ Scam Alleged; Man, Son Arrested

A man and his son have been arrested on federal wire fraud charges stemming from an alleged telemarketing scheme that took in $40,000 in two months from a dozen senior citizens.

John Wesley Scrivener, 44, and his son, Jade Steven Scrivener, 19, are accused in a federal criminal complaint of operating a “prize” scheme in which they told victims they had won a grand prize but had to send money in first to cover taxes and fees.

None of the victims received a prize, said Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis DeMaio.

The FBI arrested John Scrivener on Monday and his son last week. The father was released on bail, but the son was detained without bail because he is considered a flight risk, DeMaio said. They have yet to be arraigned.

The Sheriff’s Department originally arrested the Scriveners on misdemeanor charges after shutting down the operation in October. Now, DeMaio said, the state case will be dropped in favor of the more serious federal felony charges.

The arrests are part of ongoing investigations by the County of Orange Boiler Room Apprehension task force, which targets schemes that defraud the elderly. The task force, which consists of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, has closed a dozen operations since it was formed last year.