Three charged with scamming woman out of more than $20,000 in Addison
Three people were arrested after authorities said they used a fake lottery ticket to scam an elderly woman out of more than $20,000 earlier this month in Addison.
Miguel Pena-Gomez, 43; Liliana Nagles-Cuesta, 49; and Angela Posada-Acosta, 45 are all charged with one count of theft by deception of more than $5,000 from someone over 60 years old, which is a class 2 felony. All three people are Colombian migrants, according to DuPage County officials.
On Nov. 7, officials said, Pena-Gomez approached an elderly woman at or near the Caputo's on West Lake Street and said he'd won $6 million playing the lottery and that he needed help to collect the winnings. As they were talking Nagles-Cuesta approached and offered to help because she spoke Spanish, DuPage County authorities said.
Nagles-Cuesta pretended to contact lottery authorities to see how much money was necessary to collect the winnings. She told the woman that they needed $30,000 and left claiming she was going to get money from her bank account to help, DuPage County authorities said.
After Nagles-Cuesta returned, she, Pena-Gomez and the victim drove to the elderly woman's bank where she withdrew $20,143. The trio returned to Caputo's and then Nagles-Cuesta said she needed to go back to her bank and withdraw more money and left, DuPage County authorities said.
After Pena-Gomez and the elderly woman were alone in her car he told her he wasn't feeling well and asked her to go to the store to get him some medicine. When the woman returned to her car she said Pena-Gomez and the $20,143 in cash were gone, DuPage County authorities said.
After a nine-day investigation, authorities arrested Pena-Gomez, Nagles-Cuesta and Posada-Acosta, who authorities said served as a lookout during the scam, in Crystal Lake.
"It is alleged that these three defendants preyed on an innocent, trusting woman with a good heart, scamming her out of more than $20,000," DuPage State's Attorney Berlin said. "I urge everyone, please be aware of your surroundings and if approached, do not take people at their word, especially if they are asking you for money."
On Friday a DuPage County judge ordered the three release from custody and ordered them to return to court December 11.