Charges filed against Sonoma County residents linked to alleged nationwide phone scam

A 21-year-old Santa Rosa man is accused of leading a local operation to launder more than $7.8 million from nearly 100 victims as part of a nationwide phone scam likely linked to India, police said.

Alexander Knigge was arrested Nov. 22 during a traffic stop in the 3100 block of Lakeville Highway in Petaluma following a yearlong investigation, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

Police describe him as the “ring leader” of four people from Sonoma County who are believed to have targeted victims from across the country, including Philadelphia, Wisconsin and Florida.

Officials say the group “were willingly conspiring with an overseas scam call center to launder stolen money through an elaborate scheme before sending it back overseas.”

No one in Sonoma County was victimized, officials said, adding exactly how Knigge and the other local suspects got involved in the operation is under investigation.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen through numerous investigations that international scam call centers rely heavily on individuals within the United States to help them launder victim funds overseas,” Santa Rosa police Detective Timothy Gooler told The Press Democrat Wednesday.

He said the investigation focused on activity that occurred in 2022, but Knigge is believed to have laundered money before then.

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office charged Knigge on Nov. 29 with 11 counts of money laundering, three counts of identity theft and one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime and receiving stolen property.

Court records show Knigge is out of custody and scheduled to enter a plea on Jan. 9.

His attorney, Kellin Cooper, said the case is in its early stages and he couldn’t comment on specific details. He said he’s “confident” his client will be exonerated.

The three other Sonoma County residents, described by police as Knigge’s “employees,” also were arrested late last month.

They’re identified as Healdsburg resident Brileigh Blosser, 21; and Santa Rosa residents Anthony Chand, 23, and Calvin Valledor, 22.

Chand and Valledor are each charged with seven counts of money laundering, three counts of identity theft and one count each of conspiracy and receiving stolen property. Blosser is charged with one count of money laundering.

They’re also scheduled to appear in court Jan. 9 to enter pleas.

On Thursday, their attorneys did not immediately return calls for comment from The Press Democrat.

Yearlong investigation

The investigation into the alleged actions of Knigge and the others began in September 2022 after a detective from West Deptford, New Jersey told Santa Rosa police about a local connection to a scam in the Garden State.

Money had been stolen from a bank account and about $1,000 was withdrawn by someone in Santa Rosa, police said.

Their investigation led authorities to Chand’s home in the 2100 block of Meadowbrook Court on Nov. 15, 2022, and he was arrested before later posting bail.

Chand’s court proceedings were continued to allow police time to investigate the scam, Gooler said.

Police learned he and three others were working with an overseas scam call center to launder stolen money and financial records and cellphone evidence led them to Knigge, according to authorities.

On Nov. 15, 2022, police searched Knigge’s home in the 4000 block of Arthur Ashe Circle where investigators found “a significant hub of the operation,” police said.

They found “an entire bedroom” consisting of whiteboards with victim information, plus dozens of cellphones that each had Post-It notes with information, police said.

Investigators confiscated $80,000 from a hidden safe and concluded Knigge was a primary suspect who’d used stolen money to buy an Audi sedan and several Rolex watches.

Other evidence suggested Knigge had stolen and laundered about $275,000 into different bank accounts, police said, adding that Knigge was in Hawaii trying to buy property using stolen money at the time of the search.

In the following months, police searched 26 financial institutions and targeted more than 150 bank accounts Knigge used.

Investigators concluded overseas call centers contacted elderly victims across the country and scammed them out of money. The scammers’ methods included hacking into bank accounts and impersonating law enforcement and telling victims to send money to settle outstanding warrants or overdue taxes.

“Many victims were tricked or scammed out of their entire life savings or retirement money,” Gooler said. “Santa Rosa Police detectives have spoken with most of these victims and heard their stories and the impact that this money-laundering conspiracy had on the victims.”

Money was then transferred to bank accounts created by Knigge using names and other personal information from identity theft victims and the group then laundered the funds out of the account, police said.

Investigators suspect Knigge kept a portion of the money, used some to pay his co-conspirators and sent remaining funds overseas.

Knigge and Blosser moved to Reno since the investigation began. They were arrested together last month on Lakeville Highway in Petaluma during a return trip.

Valledor was arrested Nov. 27 during a traffic stop in the 2100 block of West Steele Lane.

A search of two homes associated with Valledor turned up two illegal rifles, specifically at a home in the 9400 block of Lazy Creek Drive in Windsor.

Altogether, police believe the group laundered $7.8 million in 2022 and investigators are working with law enforcement agencies across the country to identify victims with the hope of returning some of the stolen money recovered in the investigation, the department said.

Anyone with additional information about the operation is asked to contact Gooler or a property crimes detective at 707-543-3575.

Staff Writer Paulina Pineda contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi