A man involved in a grandparent scam that defrauded an elderly couple out of more than $24,000 has been sentenced in Cayuga County Court.
Joel F. Mathilda, 25, was sentenced in absentia to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison for third-degree grand larceny and an additional 364 days in jail for conspiracy. Both sentences will run concurrently.
Mathilda, last known to reside in the Bronx, did not appear in court for his sentencing, marking his fourth missed court date.
Authorities believe he absconded from probation in Florida, and a warrant for his arrest remains active. His co-defendants, Jose A. Fermin Vasquez and Davide Invidia Arias, were sentenced to five years of probation earlier this year.


