A woman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for bilking an elderly northwest suburban man out of more than $4 million.
Corinne Dziesiuta, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in August, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Dziesiuta, who is originally from New Jersey, was working for a call center in Costa Rica when she made several phone calls and sent letters to the victim, a Palatine resident, prosecutors said. The victim was told that he won millions of dollars in a sweepstake, but had to pay various fees and taxes in order to collect.
Dziesiuta and her accomplices tricked and bullied the man into transferring large amounts of money to accounts they controlled, prosecutors said. He made 37 payments ranging from $23,751 to $210,000.
She perpetuated the scheme for more than six years, causing the victim to lose more than $4.1 million, prosecutors said.
In 2016, the victim began cooperating with law enforcement, who directed him to inform Dziesiuta, who was using the name “Lisa Conti,” that he would only provide additional funds in person, prosecutors said.
Dziesiuta agreed to travel to New York to meet him, and was arrested when she arrived at LaGuardia Airport in New York City.
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U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin sentenced Dziesiuta to 60 months in prison on Tuesday, according to the statement.
