Fake special forces veteran scammed $12M out of scared victims and gambled it, feds say

A Texas man accused of pretending to be a special forces veteran made millions through fear-based scams and spent the money on gambling sprees, federal prosecutors say — and now he’s heading to prison.

To his victims, 52-year-old Saint Jovite Youngblood was a former member of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, an elite soldier, and a man they could literally trust with their lives, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said in a Dec. 5 news release.

A federal judge sentenced Youngblood to 40 years in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 4, prosecutors said.

McClatchy News could not immediately find attorney information for Youngblood.

Youngblood, who lived in Manor, scammed 32 people for a total of $12,766,384, most of which he spent gambling in Las Vegas, according to federal prosecutors. Manor is a roughly 15-mile drive northeast from Austin.

“This fraudster developed close relationships with dozens of individuals, building an immense amount of trust seemingly just to destroy their lives financially through elaborate, deceitful misrepresentations,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza said.

Youngblood ran his scam for 13 years, until his July 2023 arrest at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where he was about to board a flight to Las Vegas, KVUE reported.

According to prosecutors, Youngblood would convince his victims that they were in danger from cartels and then offer to protect them, for a price.

“Many of Youngblood’s victims were terrorized thinking their families were in danger; others lost their livelihoods to his schemes,” Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp, of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said. “This sentence reflects the despicable nature of Mr. Youngblood’s lies and criminal actions.”

Additionally, Youngblood promised his victims more than security in return for their money, telling them to send their checks to a business partner who was an antiques dealer, Stars and Stripes reported. It’s unclear how, exactly, they were supposed to make a financial gain on the investment.

One of Youngblood’s victims was a developer in the Austin-area community of Cedar Park, KVUE reported. Youngblood and the victim’s sons played on the same hockey team, and the victim said he gave him $900,000.

Youngblood was convicted on four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, prosecutors said. Aside from his 40-year prison sentence, he is ordered to pay back the more than $12 million prosecutors say he scammed from his victims.

This story was originally published December 8, 2024 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Fake special forces veteran scammed $12M out of scared victims and gambled it, feds say."