A Chicago man has been sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for his role in a wire fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims, authorities announced.
Satishkumar Rameshchandra Patel, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In addition to his prison term, Patel was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $631,336.40.
According to court records, Patel’s co-conspirators reached out to victims across the United States, including in Central Kentucky, by telephone, representing themselves as government officials. They convinced the victims to send payment to relieve their troubles or protect their savings, resulting in losses ranging from $9,000 to $375,000.
The scheme, which was part of a larger India-based call center operation, also involved tech support scams, where victims were defrauded into believing their computer security company had issued them refunds for products in error. They were directed to withdraw the excess refunds in cash and mail them to certain addresses, where Patel and others would retrieve the packages.
Court records show that 9 victims were associated with Patel’s actions, resulting in the significant restitution amount. Under federal law, Patel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf as part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to identify and prosecute those who facilitate elder financial exploitation.
Related Federal Cases
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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