FREDERIC SERRE
The 1510 West
A popular Pointe Claire fitness trainer and boxer is among 25 Canadians – and 11 West Islanders – facing serious criminal charges in the wake of a massive investigation by U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies into a gang of scammers who targeted elderly American citizens in Vermont and 44 other states and bilked them out of $21 million through a so-called grandparent scam.
The telephone scams, in which the suspects claimed to be grandchildren in need of quick bail money after an arrest, originated in call centres in Pointe Claire and Vaudreuil-Dorion. The arrests were made during RCMP raids last June at the call centres.
The arrests and the names of the suspects were announced on March 4 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont and sent shockwaves across the West Island and the Greek community in the Greater Montreal region. The West Islanders arrested are residents of Pointe Claire, Pierrefonds, Kirkland, Dollard des Ormeaux and Ste. Geneviève. If convicted, the accused could face between 20 and 40 years in a U.S. penitentiary.
Among those arrested is Joy Kalafatidis, 31, who worked as a fitness instructor at the Mansfield Athletic Club in Pointe Claire, and currently runs a training centre called Joy Fitness, where she also teaches boxing and self-defence.
“I’m totally shocked,” said a friend who asked not to be identified. “She never was close to me, but I knew her as I took her training classes. I don’t consider her a bad person, per se. She’s always been kind to me, and she was a nice person. Overall, it’s definitely shocking to hear this.”
According to prosecutors, the conspirators placed phone calls from the two centres between the summer of 2021 and June 4, 2024, as part of the scheme. So far, 23 suspects have been rounded up, and two remain at large, Michael J. Krol, a special agent for Homeland Security Investigations in New England, said in a statement.
“The arrests are the result of domestic collaboration, as well as our critical international partnerships with our colleagues in Canada, the Sûreté du Québec and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” Krol said.
The call centres were managed by five Canadians who were charged with money laundering in addition to the conspiracy charge that all of those charged face, according to Krol, adding: “These individuals are accused of an elaborate scheme using fear to extort millions of dollars from victims who believed they were helping loved ones in trouble.”
The scammers also told the older adults that there was a “gag order” that prevented them from discussing their relative’s predicament with other family members, the U.S. attorney’s office said. The callers used a variety of tactics to obtain money from the older Americans, according to the investigation. The most common tactic was to pose as a young relative who had just been arrested after a car accident. After the victims turned over the money, the funds were transmitted to Canada.
All of the accused were arrested March 4, except for two — 38-year-old Gareth West, a.k.a. “Buddy” and “Muscles” of Burlington, Ont., and 35-year-old Jimmy Ylimaki, a.k.a. “Coop” of Notre Dame de l’Île Perrot — who remain at large.
List of 11 West Island suspects
- Andrew Tatto, 43, of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
- Stephan Moskwyn, 42, of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
- Michael Filion, 45, of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
- Nicolas Gonzalez, 27, of Kirkland
- Joy Kalafatidis, 31, of Pointe Claire
- David Arcobelli, 36, of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
- Jonathan Massouras, 35, of Dollard des Ormeaux
- Antonio Iannacci, 33, of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
- Sara Burns, 31, of Dollard des Ormeaux
- Michael Farella, 29, of Ste. Geneviève
- Sebastian Guenole, 30, of Pierrefonds-Roxboro