Source: Office of United States Attorneys
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – An illegal immigrant from India got 12 years in prison for his role in an imposter scam that defrauded elderly victims in three states out of more than $400,000.
In February, a federal jury convicted Nirav B. Patel, 44, an Indian citizen, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of illegal entry into the U.S. by an alien.
“This illegal alien admitted that he came to Illinois because the state would give him a driver’s license, and then he used that license to steal from the elderly all across the Midwest,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We will continue to do all we can to remove this criminal element from our country.”
In an imposter scam, fraudsters pose as government officials to manipulate and exploit elderly victims for money. This scheme targeted elderly victims with text messages and emails purportedly warning that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. When the victims followed up on the messages, they were redirected to scammers posing as federal agents who convinced the victims that they were victims of identity theft who needed to withdraw their life savings to be held in phony U.S. Treasury or FTC trust accounts for safekeeping.
In reality, the money was stolen and ultimately transferred to accounts controlled by the scammers in India. The fraudsters kept the victims on the hook by calling them constantly, sometimes for up to 12 hours a day. The scammers also threatened victims with criminal liability if they told their friends or family what was going on.
Patel traveled to the elderly victims’ residences to pick up cash and assets to support the crime. Trial testimony established that, in one instance, Patel picked up $177,000 in gold bars from an elderly resident at her assisted living facility, even though she was pushing a walker and on oxygen.
In addition to the fraud charges, Patel was convicted for entering the U.S. illegally. Evidence showed that Patel snuck into the U.S. near Vancouver before connecting with the fraudsters in Georgia. Patel’s fraud operation was based in the Chicago, where he could get an Illinois driver’s license despite being in the U.S. unlawfully. From there, he drove hundreds of miles through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana to take money and gold from elderly victims on behalf of the fraud scheme.
In imposing the 12-year sentence, the Court rejected Patel’s claim that he had no idea what was going on, noting the scammers entrusted Patel with hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. These scams need people on the ground in the U.S. in order to be successful, the court continued, and those willing to help them steal from elderly victims should receive stiff sentences to deter others from doing the same thing in the future.
“This case highlights the serious public safety risks posed by individuals who enter the United States illegally and exploit our systems to target some of the most vulnerable among us,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI remains committed to identifying and dismantling transnational criminal schemes, especially carried out by perpetrators who flout our immigration laws to defraud and target elderly Americans. HSI will continue working with our partners to ensure that those who abuse our country’s generosity are held accountable.”
The Federal Trade Commission reported in March 2025 that imposter scams are now the most common type of consumer fraud against Americans. If you or a loved one has been a victim of this kind of fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline by dialing 1-833-372-8311.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft prosecuted the case.