Tampa, FL – In a harsh blow to financial crime rings, U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Pratikbhai Patel (32, Tampa) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Patel’s sentence also includes over $650,000 in restitution and forfeiture obligations.
In a groundbreaking plea on March 26, 2025, Patel admitted to his involvement in a scheme that preyed on victims by posing as law enforcement officers. He received wired funds from victims, quickly withdrew the money before they could dispute the transfers, then funneled the proceeds to another conspirator.
Patel’s schemes extended beyond this initial offense. From September 2020 to February 2023, he operated under aliases for “Tampa Smoke Shop LLC” and “Mamba Distro LLC,” making same-day cash deposits with no apparent business purpose. He completed 235 wire transfers for a fee of 1% to 1.5%, never licensed by the State of Florida.
“The defendant preyed on vulnerable victims to satisfy his greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “This prosecution should serve as a warning to those intent on exploiting others through financial crimes.”
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration led the investigation, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Suzanne Huyler and Dan Baeza. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative, targeting high-level criminal organizations that threaten national security.
For more information on OCDETF, visit www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
RELATED: Hospitality Hacker Gets 51 Months for Credit Card Theft
RELATED: Nevada Heart Doc Gets 3+ Years for Oxycodone Scheme
Related Federal Cases
- Timothy G. Fisher Guilty in $179M Sham Loan Scheme · Illinois
- Aaron Peila Gets 12 Years for Oxycodone Conspiracy, Money Laundering · Utah
- Deborah Petty Convicted in $44K Food Stamp ID Theft Scheme · Texas
- Phan and Tran Sentenced in $330,000 Cell Phone Fraud Scheme · New Hampshire
- Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to $1.3 Million Mail Fraud Scheme · Nevada
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News