Cellphone business owner from San Antonio sentenced to 44 months in prison for fraud case Feds: Soto fraudulently sold the phones to businessmen in the US and Mexico
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SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 44 months in prison on Wednesday for selling cellphones that he did not have access to.
Sergio Soto, Jr., 35, “heavily advertised” used cellphones in bulk through his two businesses, iPhone Buyerz and Phone Dropz, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Soto fraudulently sold the phones to businessmen in the U.S. and Mexico, though he didn’t have the ability to deliver them, federal authorities said.
The amount of fraud totaled $990,696. In addition to his sentence, he was ordered to pay that amount to victims and another $400 in special assessments.
He will also need three years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
The FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety and San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
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About the Author Rebecca Salinas headshot
Rebecca Salinas is an Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.
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