Tucson, Arizona – In a shocking case of tech support scheme money laundering, Ahmed Maqbul Syed, a 57-year-old Indian national, has been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the indictment, Syed, along with his accomplice Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, 27, has been accused of laundering fraudulent proceeds derived from schemes targeting elderly victims across the United States.
The indictment alleges that the duo, along with other conspirators, would lure victims into their schemes by displaying a pop-up message on their computer, claiming that their computer had been hacked or there was another issue. The victims would then be directed to contact ‘tech support’ or ‘government representatives’ to resolve the issue, only to be further convinced by the conspirators that their accounts had been hacked and their information had been compromised.
The conspirators would then instruct the victims to withdraw or transfer money, claiming that they needed to protect their money and accounts. In some cases, the victims were directed to purchase gold from various gold dealers and withdraw cash, which was then supposed to be retrieved by individuals purporting to be government representatives.
Convictions for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Syed has been arrested on the charges and is currently being held pending trial.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (Indianapolis and Phoenix Divisions) and the Marana Police Department conducted the investigation, with assistance from local law enforcement agencies from Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, and Indiana. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
Case number: CR-24-08825-TUC-JCH. Release number: 2024-181_Syed.
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X at https://x.com/@USAO_AZ.
Mandatory facts:
Defendant: Ahmed Maqbul Syed
Criminal charges: Conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud
City and state: Tucson, Arizona
Date: December 11, 2024
Sentence/outcome: Currently being held pending trial, maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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