ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — 60-year-old Florida resident Paul LaRocco has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for his role in a Ponzi scheme run under Rochester man Christopher Parris, according to U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross.

Officials with the United States Attorney Office say that in 2012 LaRocca was working as a financial advisor in KE Smith Tax Advisory Group, Inc., when Parris bought the business and reincorporated it into “Ocala Investment Services LLC d/b/a USA Tax & Financial Consultants,” or USA Tax.

LaRocco continued to work for USA Tax through 2018, falsely representing to victims that they were investing in companies that sold medical devices and offered laboratory series, prosecutors said. In actuality, the customers were not.

Victims invested approximately $688,000, according to officials. LaRocco is ordered to pay restitution totaling the same amount.

Between March 28, 2016, and May 31, 2018, officials say LaRocco used the funds to pay himself and finance his own personal purchases. They add that none of the funds were actually invested in a legitimate business, or returned to victims.

Officials add that LaRocco specifically targeted older victims, as they are especially vulnerable to investment fraud crimes.

Parris was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud related to a Ponzi scheme alongside Perry Santillo, as well as wire fraud for faking sales of N95 masks that he did not possess during the pandemic. He was sentenced to 244 months in prison.