Elder Fraud: Guilty plea sets path to 20-year sentence
Jimmy Ylimaki admitted to his role in a Montreal-based scheme that defrauded American seniors, following his capture in Nicaragua.
By Lucia Orlov ·
American seniors who lost money to a Montreal-based fraud ring now have a lead defendant in U.S. custody. Jimmy Ylimaki pleaded guilty on Oct. 19 in a U.S. court, changing his previous not guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for January.
Ylimaki served as a closer for the network, a role that involved posing as an attorney for victims' families. He convinced elderly callers to send cash ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to secure the release of relatives from jail. Over a 67-week period within the alleged three-year conspiracy, Ylimaki was paid more than $367,000 U.S. dollars.
The scheme is alleged to have generated tens of millions of dollars. Gareth West, the group's alleged leader, operated a real estate investment business across Ontario and Quebec while also maintaining an online presence as an influencer and amateur bodybuilder. Co-conspirators, including Ylimaki, made calls to victims from centers West managed in the Montreal area. Thirty-one other defendants remain in Canada, contesting extradition while facing U.S. charges.
U.S. Assistant District Attorney Nathanael Burris stated that Ylimaki was caught red-handed during a police raid in June 2024. Officers found him hiding in a downstairs shower of a building owned by West after he had been calling U.S. seniors moments before their arrival. Although the raid did not immediately lead to charges, Ylimaki fled to Costa Rica shortly afterward.
Ylimaki remained at large until July 2025, when West was arrested at an Airbnb in Saint-Colomban, Que. Ylimaki then moved to a coastal city in Costa Rica, where he reportedly researched extradition laws. A March 2026 detention motion noted that he learned Costa Rica cooperated with U.S. extradition requests, while neighboring Nicaragua historically refused them. He crossed the border in an effort to avoid capture.
U.S. authorities apprehended Ylimaki in Nicaragua in March 2026 and removed him to the United States. The details of that operation remain unclear. Burris noted in the filing that the group frequently used cryptocurrency for transactions, which complicates efforts to determine the full extent of the defendants' resources.
Source: CBC News
