Patel & Crew Prey on Elderly in $11M Scam

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The vultures are circling. A coordinated federal effort dubbed “Save Our Seniors” has yielded eight arrests, exposing a network of predators who systematically targeted and defrauded vulnerable elderly citizens across the Western District of New York and beyond. The total damage? A staggering $11,053,989 in actual and attempted losses, impacting over 139 victims.

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the arrests today, detailing a complex web of schemes ranging from customer support scams to romance cons and outright hacking. Leading the pack of alleged fraudsters is Dhruv Patel, 34, of Franklin Park, NJ. Patel is facing serious charges: wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and transportation of stolen money in interstate commerce, all carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The feds caught Patel red-handed attempting to collect $567,000 in gold bars from a Western New York woman who’d been fleeced by a customer support scam. This wasn’t a first for Patel; he was previously arrested in the Northern District of New York trying to grab $48,000 from another elderly victim using the same playbook. Investigators claim Patel acted as a key middleman, coordinating pickups nationwide and allegedly defrauding at least 12 victims out of over $9,100,000. Adding insult to injury, Patel is currently on probation for a prior state fraud conviction.

The scheme wasn’t limited to Patel. Stephen Odiboh, 53, of Stone Mountain, GA, is accused of laundering $70,000 obtained through a romance scam targeting an elderly woman in the WDNY, who lost over $175,000 total. Odiboh faces charges of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering – another 20-year potential sentence. But this isn’t Odiboh’s first rodeo. He was previously convicted of money laundering in the Southern District of New York and was on supervised release when he allegedly laundered the victim’s money. A prior forgery conviction in Georgia further paints a picture of a seasoned criminal.

The methods are evolving, but the target remains the same. Renee Thompson, 52, of North Lauderdale, FL, allegedly created 17 counterfeit checks totaling $193,167 from a Western New York company, depositing them into her own account and laundering the funds. She even deposited approximately $7,000 in counterfeit checks from a second company. Thompson faces bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering – a potential 30-year stretch. Authorities say she received a “money mule letter” – a warning she was laundering fraudulent proceeds – and ignored it, continuing to process the illicit funds. Thompson has a prior conviction for bank embezzlement in the Southern District of Florida.

The digital realm isn’t safe either. Christopher Hernandez, 29, of North Bergen, is charged with possession and transfer of fraudulent identification documents, conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, computer fraud, and conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges carry a mandatory minimum of two years, with a maximum of 15. Hernandez allegedly hacked into the retirement account of a WDNY victim, stealing $175,000 and dispersing the proceeds. Investigators are still uncovering the full extent of Hernandez’s alleged digital thievery.

While the arrests represent a significant blow to these schemes, authorities warn that these types of scams are on the rise. The “Save Our Seniors” initiative aims to disrupt these criminal networks and bring justice to those who prey on our most vulnerable citizens. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are possible. This is a stark reminder: if something feels off, it probably is. Seniors and their families are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities. The details of the remaining four defendants were not immediately released.

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