FRESNO, CALIF. — Juliet Mora pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Sept. 14, 2026, in connection with a fraud scheme that stole more than $36 million from more than 400 American victims. U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced the guilty plea.

The fraud organization operated out of the United States and several countries in Latin America. Most of the victims were elderly. Fraudsters impersonated attorneys and contacted elderly timeshare owners and fraud victims with promises of restitution and payments.

Victims signed fake representation agreements and bogus non-disclosure agreements. Victims paid fees to the fraudsters via checks and wire transfers to shell companies controlled by U.S.-based co-conspirators.

Mora, 42, resides in Nicaragua and formerly resided in Hayward, California. She became involved in the fraud scheme in August 2021. After moving to Nicaragua, she became an organizer within the fraud scheme.

She communicated with U.S.-based co-conspirators and directed them to receive and send victim funds, open shell companies, and prepare legal documents. Mora also used fake emails from fake paralegals to communicate directly with victims.

U.S.-based members created shell companies and bank accounts to launder victim money. Members evaded financial institutions’ anti-money laundering procedures by misrepresenting the true purpose and nature of their activities. Mora maintained shell companies and received more than $1,569,826 in victim funds.

Investigators traced $2,749,649 in stolen victim funds directly to accounts controlled by her. She lied to banks to conceal the true nature and origin of the funds, opened and reopened bank accounts closed for suspicious activity, and directly deposited victim funds into her shell company’s bank account on several occasions.

In October 2025, investigators arrested 15 U.S.-based defendants across four states. During that same month, investigators seized more than $2.1 million in victim funds. Several defendants fled to Mexico and other Central American countries.

Local Nicaraguan authorities, in coordination with Department of State Diplomatic Services, arrested Marlon Solis Bonilla in July 2025. He was transferred to United States custody and escorted by FBI Agents from Managua, Nicaragua to Houston, Texas.

Mexican authorities arrested defendants Julian Jauregui, Sergio Jauregui, and Eduardo Navarro in Guadalajara, Mexico in August 2026. The apprehension operation was facilitated by FBI Legat Mexico City in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service and Secretaría de Seguridad del Estado de Jalisco. The three men were transported to Mexico Immigration (INM), processed for deportation, and removed to the United States.

Mora was arrested on a second superseding indictment after arriving at Boston Logan International Airport from Panama City, Panama in December 2025. Three defendants remain at large.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Bakersfield Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Truckee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Arelis M. Clemente are prosecuting the case. Mora faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the amount laundered whichever is greater. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Dec. 14, 2026.

Timeline

August 2021: Mora becomes involved in the fraud scheme. July 2025: Local Nicaraguan authorities arrest Marlon Solis Bonilla in coordination with Department of State Diplomatic Services. October 2025: Investigators arrest 15 U.S.-based defendants across four states and seize more than $2.1 million in victim funds. December 2025: Mora is arrested on a second superseding indictment after arriving at Boston Logan International Airport from Panama City, Panama.

August 2026: Mexican authorities arrest defendants Julian Jauregui, Sergio Jauregui, and Eduardo Navarro in Guadalajara, Mexico. Sept. 14, 2026: Mora pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dec. 14, 2026: Mora is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston.