Brookfield bail money laundering scheme; $20K taken, man accused

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - A Milwaukee man is accused of taking nearly $20,000 from an elderly Brookfield woman as part of bail/legal fee scheme earlier this month.

Maximiliano Mendez, 27, is charged with two counts of money laundering and one count of attempted money laundering. Court records show he's being held in the Waukesha County Jail on $100,000.

According to a criminal complaint, an 87-year-old woman's son called police to report she was the victim of a telephone scam. The son told investigators that someone called his mother, claiming to be her grandson in need of bail money and money for an attorney.

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Prosecutors said the caller convinced the woman to get $9,500 from her bank account and return home with it. A person then went to her home and got the money on Aug. 16. The original calls came from different numbers, which the son said he searched online and appeared to be associated with legitimate lawyers. 

Days later, the complaint states the same 87-year-old woman received another phone call requesting another $9,975 to cover similar expenses. She got the money, which she said was picked up by the same person. 

The complaint states the 87-year-old woman received a third call from the same person, who identified themself as "Frank Foster," requesting an additional $9,986. The third call was recorded on the victim's answering machine minutes before the son called police. The person who picked up the money used the name "Michael Garcia."

Prosecutors said detectives went to the victim's home during the investigation. While there, the woman received several phone calls from at least two different people. A detective recorded those phone calls, which came in from several different numbers and showed up on caller ID as "out of area" or "private."

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Mendez in custody

During the calls, investigators determined that someone would be sent to the woman's home to pick up $9,986 in cash. Per the complaint, the victim played along and told the suspect that the money was ready for pickup. When someone then arrived and walked up the driveway, the victim got another call that someone was there to collect the money.

A detective then opened the door and arrested the suspect, identified as Mendez. The complaint states the victim told police it was the same person who had come to collect money on two prior occasions. Police also apprehended the driver who dropped off Mendez, though that person's identity remains in question.

Mendez told police he worked for a painting company, the complaint states, but could not provide contact information for the company or his boss. He said he had been working there for more than a year, and claimed he and the other person were driving around looking to provide paint quotes – and that it was a coincidence that they were at the victim's home. He denied any involvement in a fraud scheme.