Fugitive pleads guilty in elder fraud case

Jimmy Ylimaki pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court on Oct. 19, ending a yearlong pursuit of the Montreal man accused of defrauding American seniors. The switch from a not guilty plea resolves the legal status of the "closer" in a grandparent scam network that prosecutors say generated tens of millions of dollars. Ylimaki now faces a sentencing hearing in January, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The scheme operated under the leadership of Gareth West, who allegedly ran a real estate investment business in Ontario and Quebec while posing as an influencer and amateur bodybuilder. West established call centres in the Montreal area where associates, including Ylimaki, contacted elderly victims. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges Ylimaki posed as an attorney representing a victim's relative. He convinced victims to transfer cash, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, to secure their relative's release from jail. Over a 67-week span within a three-year conspiracy, Ylimaki was paid more than $367,000 U.S.

Ylimaki's flight began in June 2024, when police raided a West-owned building in Montreal. Assistant U.S. District Attorney Nathanael Burris noted that officers found Ylimaki hiding in a downstairs shower. He had been calling U.S. seniors moments before the raid. Charges were not filed immediately, and Ylimaki traveled to Costa Rica shortly after the search. In March 2025, police arrested 24 people in the Montreal area on fraud charges. West was subsequently captured at an Airbnb in Saint-Colomban, Quebec, in July 2025. Ylimaki remained the last known member of the group to elude capture.

During the summer of 2025, sources indicated Ylimaki was living in a coastal city in Costa Rica. A March 2026 detention motion states that Ylimaki researched extradition laws to avoid transfer to the U.S. He determined that Costa Rica cooperated with American authorities, while neighboring Nicaragua had historically declined such requests. He crossed the border into Nicaragua based on this legal distinction. U.S. authorities apprehended him in Nicaragua in March 2026 and removed him to the United States. The specific details of that capture operation have not been disclosed.

Thirty-one other defendants are currently charged in the U.S. case. These individuals remain in Canada while they contest extradition proceedings. Burris wrote in his March 2026 filing that conspiracy members frequently used cryptocurrency for transactions. This practice made it difficult to determine the true extent of the group's financial resources.

Ylimaki will appear for sentencing in January 2027. The court will determine his specific term based on the guilty plea and the evidence presented by prosecutors regarding his role in the call centre operations.