A Gainesville man is being held in the Hall County Jail, facing charges that resulted from a Hall
County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) extortion investigation that began in 2023.
Armando Eligio Villarreal, 54, was booked into jail on Saturday night following
extradition from Cameron County, Texas. He is charged with four counts each of theft by extortion
and conspiracy to commit a crime (theft by extortion), all felonies. (HCSO) investigators obtained his
arrest warrants July 14.
According to the initial investigation, Villarreal extorted a total of approximately $120,000 cash
from four victims (three women and one man) between March of 2020 and June of 2023. The crimes
were reported to HCSO between June and July of 2023.
Under the guise of assisting victims with immigration matters, Villarreal conspired with his wife,
Olga Beatrice Villarreal, 52, to extort the money by threatening victims with deportation, according
to initial details. Olga was arrested on her charges last year and released on bond, Alleged scammer arrested a fourth time (wgtjradio.com) while Armando remained at large for more than a year.
Armando Villarreal is currently being held without bond.
