HOUSTON, TX – The tentacles of a sprawling India-based fraud ring continue to tighten around its American accomplices. Four men – Nisarg Patel, Dilipkumar Ramanlal Patel, Rajesh Kumar, and Dipakkumar Sankalchand Patel – have recently pleaded guilty to charges related to a multi-million dollar scheme that preyed on vulnerable U.S. citizens, impersonating federal officials to steal their money.
The scheme, originating from call centers in Ahmedabad, India, involved operators posing as representatives from the IRS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). They terrified victims with threats of arrest, imprisonment, hefty fines, and deportation unless immediate payment was made. The targets were identified using data purchased from brokers, creating a chillingly efficient system of exploitation. When victims complied, they were instructed to send money via stored value cards or wire transfers.
But the scam didn’t stop at the phone call. A network of “runners” within the United States was crucial to the operation, tasked with liquidating and laundering the fraudulently obtained funds. Nisarg Patel, 26, most recently of Flemington, N.J., confessed to acting as one of these runners, beginning around June 2013 and continuing through December 2015. He admitted to communicating with the India-based conspirators via telephone, email, and even WhatsApp, laundering funds using reloadable cards and depositing the proceeds into various bank accounts. He also received direct payments from victims.
Dilipkumar Ramanlal Patel, 30, of Ocala, Fla., and Rajesh Kumar, 39, of Mesa, Ariz., also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering offenses. Like Patel, they were integral in moving the stolen funds, working directly with the India-based operation and a co-defendant identified as HGLOBAL. All three remain in federal custody after being arrested in October 2016. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
In a related case, Dipakkumar Sankalchand Patel, 38, most recently of Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before a judge in the Northern District of Georgia. He, too, has been held in federal custody since his arrest in May 2017. The investigation, a joint effort between the U.S. Secret Service, ICE, TIGTA, and DHS-OIG, demonstrates the increasing sophistication of international fraud schemes and the challenges law enforcement faces in tracking down the perpetrators.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, U.S. Attorney John A. Horn, and the heads of the investigating agencies announced the guilty pleas. While these convictions represent a step forward, the scale of the operation suggests that many more individuals involved – both in the U.S. and India – remain at large. Sentencing dates for Nisarg Patel, Dilipkumar Ramanlal Patel, Kumar, and Dipakkumar Sankalchand Patel are pending. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and expose the individuals profiting from the misery of American citizens.
Related Federal Cases
- Brian Perez, Fraud Scheme, Tax Evasion and Money Laundering, Texas 2017 · Texas
- Mauricio Sanchez-Garza, Money Laundering, Texas 2016 · Oregon
- LANCE M. VALLO, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, Louisiana 2023 · New Mexico
- Tax Preparer Charged in $250K Tax Fraud Scam · Georgia
- Jamel ‘Goo’ Yates, Wire Fraud Scheme, North Carolina 2024 · Georgia
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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