Man Indicted in Bilking of Woman, 90
A man who allegedly bilked a 90-year-old homeless woman out of $40,000 will be extradited to California to stand trial, the U.S. attorney’s office said Tuesday.
Miguel Angel Somoza, 54, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana on 10 counts of wire fraud and was arrested Monday at his residence in Roseburg, Ore.
Somoza allegedly told the woman that she owed money to the IRS and that he would help her fix the problem if she gave him money. Somoza reportedly met the woman at a nursing home where the woman’s sister lived.
Authorities say the crime occurred between September 1997 and May 2000, when the woman lived in a Buena Park homeless shelter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McCormick said the woman had apparently lost her longtime home, yet still had money in a Swiss bank account.
“We’re not entirely sure what happened and how she lost the house,” McCormick said. “Sometimes, when you’re dealing with a 90-year-old, explanations for things that happened a long time ago aren’t that perfect.”
Somoza could not be reached for comment.
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