Grandparent Scam: Montreal Operator Pleads Guilty

Jimmy Ylimaki, a Montreal resident accused of defrauding American seniors, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit fraud on Oct. 19. The plea marks a shift from his original not guilty stance in the U.S. court case. He is scheduled for sentencing in January 2027 and faces a maximum prison term of 20 years.

Ylimaki spent approximately one year as a fugitive after a police raid in June 2024. During that operation, officers discovered him hiding in a downstairs shower of a building owned by alleged scheme leader Gareth West. U.S. Assistant District Attorney Nathanael Burris described Ylimaki as being caught red-handed while calling victims. Although the raid did not result in immediate charges, Ylimaki traveled to Costa Rica shortly after.

The alleged network involved 32 defendants in total. While 31 co-conspirators remain in Canada contesting extradition, Ylimaki was the final member at large until his capture. He fled Costa Rica for Nicaragua in early 2026 after researching extradition laws. A March 2026 motion for detention noted that Ylimaki believed Nicaragua would refuse U.S. transfer requests, unlike its neighbor. However, U.S. authorities apprehended him in Nicaragua in March 2026 and removed him to the United States.

Prosecutors allege the group generated tens of millions of dollars through a scheme involving Gareth West. West operated a real estate investment business in Ontario and Quebec while presenting himself as an influencer and amateur bodybuilder. He ran call centres where associates, including Ylimaki, contacted elderly targets. Ylimaki served as a closer, posing as an attorney for family members. He persuaded victims to send cash, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, to bail relatives out of jail.

Ylimaki worked in this capacity for a 67-week period within the alleged three-year conspiracy. During that time, he was paid more than $367,000 U.S. Burris noted in a March 2026 filing that the group frequently used cryptocurrency for transactions. This practice made it difficult for investigators to determine the full extent of the defendants' resources.