AUSTIN, Texas – A Manor man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin Wednesday to 480 months in prison for four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to court documents, Saint Jovite Youngblood, aka Kota Youngblood, 52, committed wire fraud against his victims by claiming Mexican drug cartel members were planning to commit violence against them. Youngblood falsely claimed to have been part of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force special operations unit and offered protection to his victims from the cartels in exchange for money. Youngblood also represented that funds obtained from his victim “investors” would be paid back with a significant return on the money. Instead, Youngblood used most of the money on junkets to Las Vegas to gamble in casinos. Over the course of his scheme, Youngblood defrauded 32 victims for more than $12 million. He was arrested July 31, 2023 and convicted by a federal jury April 23, 2024.
In addition to the 40 years of imprisonment, Youngblood was ordered to pay the full restitution of $12,766,384.
“This fraudster developed close relationships with dozens of individuals, building an immense amount of trust seemingly just to destroy their lives financially through elaborate, deceitful misrepresentations,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The 40-year sentence that Youngblood will now serve in federal prison, along with the full restitution paid back to the victims, demonstrates the gravity of these crimes, and it is my hope that the individuals and families impacted by his schemes are able to repair any loss they have suffered. Thanks to our partners at the FBI for their investigative efforts that assisted greatly with this successful outcome of justice.”
“Many of Youngblood’s victims were terrorized thinking their families were in danger; others lost their livelihoods to his schemes. This sentence reflects the despicable nature of Mr. Youngblood’s lies and criminal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI is committed to identifying scams such as this – and ensuring anyone who endeavors to financially fleece innocent Americans is held to account. We want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work on this case – and their continued assistance in gaining justice for victims of financial crimes.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Guess and Matt Harding prosecuted the case.
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