FBI, police raid telemarketing office

Sue Doyle

COSTA MESA -- FBI agents and police raided three centrally located Costa

Mesa businesses Tuesday, arresting two people on suspicion of mail and

wire fraud for allegedly running a telemarketing scam, authorities said.

Ian Anthony Suite, 43, and Cecilia Margarita Castillo, 39, both of

Irvine, were arrested and are being held at Santa Ana City Jail, said

Santa Ana police Sgt. Raul Luna. Suite and Castillo will probably be sent

to a federal facility on Wednesday, Luna added.

Law enforcement officials raided Global Network Enterprises, TCM and

Republic Enterprises. Each of the businesses was run from a single office

at 1520 Nutmeg Place.

Authorities also searched the shared Irvine home of Suite and Castillo,

who are the owners of the businesses.

Authorities said the two owners and their employees allegedly telephoned

households across the country, informing people that they had won a cash

sweepstakes prize.

They are accused of instructing people to send money to pay taxes and

fees connected to the prize, although none of the victims ever received

any cash prizes.

“It’s the same old adage: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably

is,” said Julie McWilliams, an FBI spokeswoman at the bureau’s Santa Ana

office.

Authorities would not comment on any victims or the size of the

telemarketing operation, saying the federal investigation was continuing.

The arrests were made by a task force called the County of Orange Boiler

Room Apprehension team, or COBRA.

The task force, which focuses on telemarketing fraud, includes members of

the FBI, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Ana Police Department,

and representatives from the offices of the Orange County District

Attorney and U.S. Attorney General.