The two owners of a debt consolidation service in Oregon have been indicted on charges of conspiring to commit and committing mail and wire fraud. The pair are accused of knowingly and intentionally defrauding their customers.
Javier Antonio Banuelas Urueta and Dalia Castilleja Saucedo operated ConsoliDebt Solutions. Starting in April 2019, the pair used the company to collect money and property from clients in exchange for purported debt consolidation or reduction services. Clients were instructed to deposit funds directly into the company’s bank accounts, to transfer funds to the company, and to mail in personal checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks. But instead of using the funds as intended, the pair instead used the money for their own expenses, including car leases, loan repayments, rent, and to make wire transfers.
Banuelas was arrested earlier this week and has been ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Castilleja has not yet been arrested.
The pair are charged with seven counts of conspiring to commit and committing mail and wire fraud, which are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ of supervised release per count of conviction.
