A Golden man was sentenced this month to five years in federal prison for running a $300 million nationwide telemarketing scheme selling fake magazine subscriptions.

Henry Aragon, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and tax evasion in July 2022 in connection with the scam that targeted more than 150,000 people, including older adults and others vulnerable to fraud, according to federal prosecutors and court records.

Aragon and his co-defendants operated dozens of fraudulent magazine sales companies in the United States and Canada that tricked victims into making large and ongoing payments for the magazines, prosecutors said in a news release.

Although they claim to offer customers a discount on their subscriptions, the companies have had no relationship with the magazines.