Couple indicted in tree-trimming scam of older Coloradans

AARP ElderWatch

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser indicted an Arvada couple on 51 counts in connection with a fake tree-trimming service targeting older Coloradans, according to a release.

Joseph Camillo Tyler and Amelia Marie Tyler are accused of committing financial fraud on older Coloradans, many of whom were over the age of 80, according to the news release.

According to the grand jury indictment, the husband-wife team would sell services, such as tree-trimming, to vulnerable older Coloradans. The victims would usually pay with cash or check. 

The wife would then cash the check or deposit the cash while the husband cut a few branches at the home, according to the indictment. The wife would then return to the home, where the couple told the homeowner they needed to get something and would be back. They rarely returned. 

At least 50 people were victims of their scam and the couple totaled about $40,000 in fraudulent profit.

Justice Department works to protect elders from scammers

The Arvada Police Department, which led the investigation, arrested the Tylers in October and they are currently in the custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. 

Their charges include counts of:

  • Violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act
  • Theft
  • Conspiracy to commit theft
  • Aggravated motor vehicle theft
  • Criminal exploitation of an at-risk person

“These types of predatory actions against some of the most vulnerable members of our communities will not be tolerated,” Arvada Police Department Chief Ed Brady said. “To steal from people who have saved a lifetime to live out their golden years is appalling. We appreciate the hard work our detectives committed to this case and are thankful for a swift indictment.”

AARP ElderWatch, a program with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and AARP, fights financial exploitation of older Coloradans, who are frequently targets of scammers.

The AARP ElderWatch website at www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/elderwatch contains information on recognizing, refusing and reporting scams and fraud.

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