Commonwealth v. Witson Lavilette

Case No. J-S08035-19

• Case Summary: Guilty of swindling thousands of dollars from an elderly victim through a hoax known as the “Grandparent Scam.” The case began following a complaint from the victim, who was scammed after receiving a phone call indicating his grandson needed bail money for a drunken driving arrest.

• Charges: Found guilty of felony counts of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, criminal conspiracy, and theft by deception.

• Judgment Result: Sentenced to 8-23 months in prison.

• Additional Information: On appeal, Lavilette contended he shouldn’t have been convicted because investigators didn’t prove he was connected with the scam. Stevens countered that the evidence presented at Lavilette’s trial “established beyond a reasonable doubt that it was proper for the jury to find (Lavilette) guilty.”

Source :

1. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5ca59c74342cca12333d5616

2. https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/04/conman-foiled-by-his-own-greed-deserves-prison-term-for-r ole-in-grandparent-scam-pa-court-says.html