Jonathan Massouras

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

“I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions in 2006.” These words came from a U.S. woman who later paid $500 to stop harassing phone calls. She’s one of a thousand victims who lost money to a Pierrefonds-based telemarketing operation.

Quebec Superior Court Judge Alexandre Bien-Aimé ordered the extradition of four local residents to face U.S. charges. Jonathan Massouras and Kevin Gampel, 30, both of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Ahmad Eraif of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, and Mohamed Eraif, 41, of Pierrefonds will face prosecution in California.

The case spans from 2013 to 2015. Callers worked from a residential building on Athena Street in Pierrefonds, targeting U.S. residents. They claimed to represent companies named “Magazine Readers,” “Global Readers” and “American Reader Services”.

Court documents reveal the scope of victims’ losses. One woman paid over $20,000 to the operation. The RCMP found her information on six different lead sheets during their 2015 search.

The Athena Street location search uncovered 2,600 pages of documents. These contained names, addresses, phone numbers, and banking information of U.S. residents. Investigators found evidence linking the operation to more than $1 million in fraud proceeds.

According to U.S. court filings, callers told victims they owed money for magazine subscriptions. When people paid, they received more calls demanding additional payments for supposed outstanding debts.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California outlined the scheme’s structure in their 2020 indictment. Ahmad Eraif maintained daily contact with U.S. payment processors through Skype and email. Bank records show transfers exceeding $250,000 to accounts in his and his wife’s names.

Massouras faces additional legal challenges. In 2024, RCMP officers arrested him during a ketamine smuggling investigation at his Tecumseh Street residence. He remains in custody on a separate U.S. extradition request linked to another elderly fraud case.

The three other accused appeared in court Thursday. Justice Bien-Aimé ordered their immediate detention pending extradition. They have 30 days to appeal the decision.

The investigation revealed a pattern targeting elderly Americans. Victims reported persistent calls that continued even after making payments. One victim described the experience as inescapable, saying she finally paid to “be left alone.”

The case forms part of a broader U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting cross-border fraud schemes that prey on elderly Americans. When extradited, the accused will face trial in Los Angeles. The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in U.S. federal prison. n