Hall County man arrested for extorting victims out of more than $100,000

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A Gainesville man accused of extorting four victims for more than $100,000 was arrested over the weekend.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said 54-year-old Antonio Eligio Villarreal was booked into jail on Saturday. Deputies said Villarreal extorted a total of $120,000 in cash from four victims over a three-year period.

Deputies said Villareal and his wife, Olga, threatened three women and one man between March 2020 and July 2023. Villareal and his wife threatened these victims with deportation in order to get money from them, according to investigators.

Channel 2 Action News covered Olga’s arrest back in June 2023.

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Villareal had been on the run for more than a year before he was extradited from Cameron County, Texas.

He is facing four charges of theft by extortion and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Deputies are continuing to investigate this case.

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