Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
Two men have been indicted in connection with a scheme that targeted senior citizens across Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. According to federal prosecutors, Tejas Bhupendrabhai Patel of Toledo and Navya Umeshkumar Bhatt, an Indian citizen studying at the University of Toledo on an F1 visa, are accused of orchestrating a plan that convinced elderly victims to hand over large sums of cash and gold bars.
The indictment alleges that Patel and Bhatt conspired to commit money laundering by deceiving victims into believing they were communicating with representatives from their banks or federal agencies such as the FBI, Social Security Administration, and Federal Trade Commission. The victims were subjected to fear tactics, including threats of criminal charges. They were then instructed to withdraw funds from their savings or retirement accounts, convert them into cash or gold bars, and surrender them to individuals posing as bank employees or federal agents.
Federal investigators state that the defendants and co-conspirators traveled long distances from Toledo to various cities including Hudson, Sylvania, Columbus (Ohio), Oscoda and Ann Arbor (Michigan), West Newton (Pennsylvania), and South Bend (Indiana) to collect the money and gold directly from victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Melching is prosecuting the case for the Northern District of Ohio. The FBI’s Toledo Resident Agency is leading the investigation.
If found guilty, each defendant could face up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing would be determined by the court based on factors such as prior criminal records and roles in the offense.
“An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to prosecutors.
