A Texas man posing as a highly trained special operations veteran steals millions of dollars from his victims by claiming they are being targeted by a drug cartel and claiming he can protect them for a high price. was found guilty of defrauding.
Kota Youngblood, 52, also known as Saint Jobite Youngblood, was sentenced Wednesday in Austin to 40 years in prison for defrauding 32 people out of more than $12 million in a conspiracy dating back to at least 2010. It was reported that. Ministry of Justice.
Youngblood, from Manor, a town about 25 miles outside Austin, convinced his victims that a Mexican drug cartel was after them and offered to protect them and their loved ones in exchange for money.
In a recorded conversation with an undercover FBI agent in May 2023, Youngblood reportedly said he was currently “freelancing” at the Pentagon. court documents.
He joined the Army's 82nd Airborne Division and Delta Force, a top-secret and elite Army special operations force that is part of the Joint Special Operations Command, for 22 years, even though FBI agents were unable to find any military service records. He claimed to have worked for the company for a year.
Investigators found that the scammer told the victims that he could use his skills and connections as a special operator to protect them and their loved ones.
“Many of Youngblood's victims were terrified because they believed their families were in danger. Some had lost their livelihoods as a result of his schemes,” said FBI Special Agent Aaron Tapp. spoke.
One of the victims testified against Youngblood in August 2023 in federal court in Austin, saying he had known Youngblood for about six years and that their sons were on the same hockey team. .
The scammer had his son tell the victim that his father needed to talk about a “situation” regarding his ex-wife.
Youngblood then claimed that his ex-wife was involved in a Mexican drug cartel and that he and his family were in “grave danger.”
He told the victim that his ex-man was trying to kill him in order to cash out a $6.5 million life insurance policy in his name.
Youngblood then claimed through a friend at the National Security Agency that he obtained audio of his ex-wife and cartel members hiring a hitman to kill him.
He then demanded money from the victim to protect him and his family. The victim wrote him a check for $70,000 for bogus services and then gave him two additional payments of $86,000 and $83,000.
Investigators discovered that the scammer “targeted several members of my son's hockey team.”
Youngblood used intermediaries between himself and his victims to hide his activities while carrying out the fraud. He scheduled in-person meetings and avoided discussing his plans by phone or email, investigators said.
He also told the victims, whom he referred to as “investors,” that the funds “will be repaid with significant profits.”
He accepted checks drawn through business partners and told victims that their payments to protect their families would be doubled as business investments and would earn them a profit.
However, investigators discovered that the scammer had gambled away a large sum of money in Las Vegas.
“This fraudster appears to have forged close relationships with dozens of individuals, building vast amounts of trust solely for the purpose of financially destroying their lives through elaborate and deceptive misrepresentations.” said Jaime Esparza.
The scammer was arrested after the victim's son played on the same hockey team as Youngblood's son and began cooperating with the FBI after the victim was not given his money back.
Youngblood was arrested in July 2023 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on his way to Las Vegas.
The fraudster was incarcerated at the Waco Detention Center and went to trial in April, where he was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
In addition to 480 months in prison, he was ordered to pay full restitution of $12,766,384.
“The 40 years in prison that Youngblood will now serve in federal prison, and the full restitution paid to his victims, demonstrate the seriousness of these crimes and the consequences of his scheme.” “We hope that these individuals and families will be saved and repaired the losses they have suffered,” Esparza said.
“We appreciate the investigative efforts of our partners at the FBI, who have made significant contributions to this judicial success.”
