Two young men accused of scamming grandparents until they were caught in a sting operation in Monroe County were released without bail under New York State Law, then arrested by the FBI at the Buffalo airport as they tried to board a plane to Miami.
Scammers Jamel Aciego and Victor Lopez were part of a larger gang working a “bail scam”
in which they tried to convince people that a loved one was in trouble and needed bail money out of state. Aciego and Lopez would play the part of “bailiffs” sent to collect the money. They’re accused of scamming people out of at least $106,000 across Western New York.
At a news conference Monday on the Gates carjacking murder, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Michael Fowler said the two would not have returned to stand trial if they hadn’t been caught by the FBI, which is now investigating the larger “bail scam” gang.