Northern Ireland man indicted in fraud and money laundering scheme in Rhode Island

Elijah Gavin, a British national from Northern Ireland, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island for participating in a multi-state construction and money laundering fraud scheme

Gavin, who also goes by the aliases Timothy O’Reilly and Elijah Thomas, entered the US via Dublin in October 2022.

According to the criminal complaint filed in January in the District of Rhode Island, Gavin’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application included false responses to questions related to his criminal history.

In the criminal complaint, Special Agent Jodie L. Donaghy of Homeland Security Investigations wrote: "I know based on a Northern Ireland Unlawfully at Large ('UAL') Notice that Gavin possesses convictions in Northern Ireland for grievous bodily harm, burglary and theft, burglary with intent to steal, and possession of a class B substance."

In its notice, the Northern Ireland Department of Justice says Gavin has been unlawfully at large since April 13, 2022; he had been on compassionate temporary release from HMP Magilligan in Derry.

"On May 26, 2023, DHS retroactively denied Gavin’s ESTA application because of his affiliations with The Traveling Conmen Fraud Group," Donaghy said in the complaint.

In a statement on February 27, acting US Attorney Sara Miron Bloom said that Gavin has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in New Jersey on January 29, 2025.

The indictment charges him with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

Bloom said that court documents allege that Gavin and other co-conspirators are purported to be associated with the so-called Traveling Conmen Fraud Group (Conmen Travelers), a group recognized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI's) Terrorist Screen Center as a Transnational Organized Crime (TCO) group.

According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, Conmen Travelers are groups of Irish or UK nationals who entered the US on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the US illegally.

Once in the US, they go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work. The members often quote a low price, and then, after further inspection, demand much more money and/or convince the homeowner that their homes or business are in need of major repairs.

Conmen Travelers often hire day laborers; do not have work authorization documents or pull permits; and do low-quality, unnecessary, or incomplete work, sometimes damaging homeowners’ residences.

Bloom said that according to court documents, Gavin and his co-conspirators defrauded property owners in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York of over $1 million. They did this by, among other things, misrepresenting to property owners who they are, the qualifications of their construction businesses, and construction needs or repairs required on properties.

The court documents allege that Gavin and his co-conspirators formed and used multiple construction businesses and falsely represented the business’ status, experience, and quality of work; falsely represented their identities and skills to homeowners; and made false representations to property owners regarding the condition of their properties, work they would perform, and the machinery, materials, and equipment needed to perform work.

As part of this conspiracy, court documents allege, Gavin and his co-conspirators collected funds for work that was not needed, was incomplete, and in some instances when no work was performed.

Additionally, these co-conspirators billed property owners and collected funds for equipment that was not needed or used.

Monies collected through this conspiracy were deposited into bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators or transferred to other individuals who laundered the fraudulently obtained monies.

The victims of this scheme included a 78-year-old Rhode Island woman who was fraudulently induced to pay over $850,000 for unnecessary foundation and basement repairs, including in checks written to Gavin and others.

Gavin is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment in the US District Court in Providence on March 10.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Taylor A. Dean, and the matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island State Police, and the US Diplomatic Security Service.

A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.