HOUSTON, TX – The last of seven U.S.-based defendants connected to a sprawling, multi-million dollar fraud scheme originating from India has pleaded guilty, bringing a small measure of closure to a case that ripped off countless American citizens. Miteshkumar Patel, 42, of Willowbrook, Illinois, admitted to money laundering conspiracy, effectively sealing the fate of a network that preyed on vulnerable Americans for years.
The scheme, orchestrated by call centers in Ahmedabad, India, involved impersonating officials from the IRS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Victims across the United States were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, hefty fines, or deportation unless they immediately paid alleged back taxes or immigration fees. Operators used data brokers and other sources to target victims, escalating the pressure with aggressive tactics and fabricated claims.
Patel wasn’t manning the phones in India. He was a crucial cog in the money laundering operation *within* the U.S. According to court documents, beginning around 2013, Patel managed a team of “runners” who were responsible for liquidating up to $25 million in fraudulently obtained funds for the India-based operation and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL. The runners purchased general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards using stolen personal identifying information (PII) and deposited money orders into designated bank accounts, skimming a cut of the profits for themselves.
Patel isn’t alone in facing the music. Sunny Joshi, 47, of Sugar Land, Texas; Jagdishkumar Chaudhari, 39, of Montgomery, Alabama; and Rajesh Bhatt, 53, also of Sugar Land, Texas, each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy. Raman Patel, 82, of Gilbert, Arizona; Praful Patel, 50, of Fort Myers, Florida; and Jerry Norris, 47, of Oakland, California, each admitted guilt to conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering offenses. Six of the seven defendants have been in federal custody since their arrests in October 2016 and will remain detained pending sentencing.
Federal authorities, including Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, and inspectors general from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), all contributed to the investigation. The agencies detailed how Patel communicated with co-conspirators in both the U.S. and India via email, text messaging, and WhatsApp, coordinating the flow of dirty money.
While this marks the end of the U.S.-based prosecutions, the investigation into the India-based perpetrators continues. The scale of the fraud – hundreds of millions of dollars – underscores the vulnerability of American citizens to these types of scams and the sophistication of the criminal networks behind them. The pleas entered before U.S. District Court Judges David Hittner and Michelle Burns signal a significant blow to this operation, but the threat of similar schemes remains ever-present.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
Related Criminal Cases in US News
- Candies Goode-McCoy, COVID-19 Tax Credit Scheme, Nevada 2026
- Marco Tulio Lopez-Romero, Homicide, Reston VA, 2026
- Little Tiger, Wire Fraud, California 2023
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News