A Texas man who defrauded his victims of millions by pretending to protect them from cartel threats has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering.
Saint Jovite "Kota" Youngblood, 52, falsely identified as a veteran of the U.S. Army's Delta Force special operations unit. Youngblood convinced his victims Mexican drug cartel members were planning to hurt them and offered to protect them in exchange for money, he promised, would be "paid back with a significant return," per U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza.
Instead of reimbursing his "victim investors," Youngblood used most of the money to gamble and travel to Las Vegas. Court documents indicate the Texas man defrauded 32 victims for more than $12 million across 13 years.
In a press release, Esparza highlighted how Youngblood "developed close relationships" with his victims to "destroy their lives financially through elaborate, deceitful misrepresentations." FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp indicated "Youngblood's victims were terrorized thinking their families were in danger," with some losing "their livelihoods to his schemes."
According to local news outlet KVUE, one of the victims was a Central Texas developer, Eric Perardi, whose son played on the same hockey team as Youngblood's son. Perardi told the FBI he paid Youngblood $900,000 for protection, but did not receive his money back. The victim cooperated with FBI agents to conduct a sting in Austin two months before Youngblood's arrest.
The defendant was arrested in July 2023 at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport before flying off to Las Vegas and convicted by a federal jury April 23, 2024. In addition to his 40-year sentence, Youngblood was ordered to pay full restitution to his victims.
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