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 You are in: Under Secretary for Management > Bureau of Diplomatic Security > News from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security > Bureau of Diplomatic Security: Press Releases > 2006
May 16, 2006

U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Aids in Suspects’ Capture in Costa Rica

Bureau of Diplomatic Security
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2006

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service teamed with the U.S. Postal Inspectors, Department of Commerce Inspector General, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Costa Rican Judicial Police (OIJ) in a joint investigation culminating in the May 16 arrest in Costa Rica of five individuals allegedly involved in a sweepstakes fraud targeting elderly U.S. citizens and residents. The scam reportedly netted over $13 million.

The five suspects, Giuseppe Pileggi, Hernan Kankrini, and U.S. citizens Martin Kalchstein, Brian Wall Coyle, and Michael Mangarella, were arrested on May 16 on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy. Mangarella is also wanted in Nevada for lewd conduct with a child under fourteen.

Diplomatic Security spent several hundred hours investigating this case, including acting as liaison among US law enforcement and the Costa Rican Judicial Police; working with Judicial Police in locating the fugitives and the "boiler rooms" in which the scams were run, interviewing witnesses, tracking subjects, conducting record checks in Costa Rica pertaining to these cases, and participating in the execution of the search/arrest warrant issued by Costa Rican authorities.

The Costa Rican Judicial Police and the Costa Rican Attorney General’s office executed search warrants at 17 residences and call centers where fraud operations were either conducted or the men lived. The suspects are expected to be held pending the outcome of the U.S. request to Costa Rica for their extradition.

Richard Griffin, Assistant Secretary for the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, said that the "outstanding support of the Costa Rican Judicial Police – particularly Director General Rojas – was vital to this investigation. More than 120 Costa Rican Judicial Police agents participated in both the surveillance phase and Costa Rican executions of the provisional arrest warrants in this operation."

Diplomatic Security is a worldwide law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Department of State with special agents assigned to U.S. diplomatic missions overseas and field offices throughout the United States. Diplomatic Security special agents conduct passport and visa fraud investigations worldwide and are responsible for security at 285 U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world.

Contact: Darlene Kirk
(571) 345-2507
Cell: (703) 608-2851
kirkd3@state.gov

Special Agent Mike Wilkins
(506) 519-2317
wilkinsme@state.gov

[Released by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Public Affairs]


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