Boston man pleads guilty to his role in senior citizen scam

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Boston man pleaded guilty Tuesday to participating in a scheme to cheat senior citizens out of cash by pretending to be a relative who's in jail and needs bail money, federal prosecutors said.

Julio Feliciano, 32, pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman.

Feliciano and his accomplices last year used fake names to contact senior citizens in North Carolina, Delaware, Illinois, Tennessee and other states to tell them that cash payments ranging from $7,000 to $9,500 were required to secure the release of their grandson, nephew or other relative from jail, prosecutors said.

They asked the victims to send the packages containing cash to addresses in Rhode Island, including private homes, UPS stores and a pharmacy, where Feliciano would pick them up.

Feliciano faces a maximum of 20 years in prison at sentencing scheduled for April 20.