Two men from New Jersey face allegations of wire fraud in a multistate scheme involving impersonation of government officials. According to a superseding indictment from a federal grand jury on April 3, Bharat Awasarmol and Prakashkumar Prajapati are accused of using deceptive tactics since March 2023. They allegedly targeted victims in Maine and four other states by instructing them to hand over cash and gold under false pretenses of safekeeping by the government.
In the scheme, victims received phone calls from fake government officials. One such victim was allegedly defrauded in Maine, where Awasarmol was reportedly caught accepting a package. This incident involved a scammer posing as a Federal Trade Commission employee. The indictment details Awasarmol's alleged acceptance of money and gold from other victims located in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Prajapati is alleged to have coordinated these actions, providing Awasarmol with detailed meeting instructions for the victims.
Further charges against Awasarmol include making false statements to an FBI agent about his involvement. Should they be convicted, the wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Awasarmol could face an additional five years for the false statements charge, along with a potential $250,000 fine.
The FBI is leading the investigation into this case. The indictment currently stands as an allegation, with both defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
