ADVERTISEMENTs
.png)
Illinois jury convicts illegal Indian immigrant in elder fraud scam
Nirav B. Patel faces up to 20 years in prison.
Representative image of scam / Pexels
A jury in southern Illinois has convicted Nirav B. Patel, a 44-year-old illegal immigrant from India, for his role in an imposter scam that defrauded victims across the Midwest of over $400,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced the conviction on Feb. 11.
U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe stated, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working aggressively to prosecute illegal immigrants who break our laws and exploit elderly victims.”
She also warned about imposter scams, adding, “An imposter scammer may call, text, or email to convince you they are someone in authority, but government agencies typically initiate conversation with you through the mail. Unexpected contact or demands through any other method are more than likely a scam.”
Patel was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and illegal entry into the U.S.
He was involved in a scheme where fraudsters posed as government officials to deceive elderly victims into handing over their money. Patel personally visited victims’ homes to collect cash and valuables as part of the scam.
The scheme tricked victims into believing their Amazon accounts had been hacked. When they responded to fraudulent messages, they were directed to scammers pretending to be federal agents. The victims were told they were identity theft targets and needed to withdraw their savings for safekeeping in fake U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts. Instead, the money was stolen and funneled into accounts controlled by scammers in India.
In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was also convicted of illegally entering the United States. Evidence showed he crossed into the country near Vancouver and traveled through several states, including Washington, Tennessee, Georgia, and New Jersey, before settling in the Chicago suburbs.
He admitted in court that he obtained an Illinois driver’s license despite being in the country illegally and then started working for the fraud scheme.
Patel was arrested in Edwardsville in April 2023 while attempting to collect $35,000 from a retiree. Investigators determined that he made six trips, either picking up or trying to pick up a total of $403,400 from elderly victims in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
HSI Chicago acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel Johnsen called the conviction “a significant victory in our fight against fraud schemes that target vulnerable elderly victims”.
He added, “Patel’s reprehensible actions, along with his illegal presence in our country, underscore the critical importance of our efforts to protect our communities and bring such criminals to justice. We remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling fraud conspiracies and ensuring that those who exploit others are held accountable for their crimes.”
Patel faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiracy and each wire fraud count. His sentencing is set for May. 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login