Two men have been indicted for allegedly targeting senior citizens in a scheme involving money laundering and the collection of cash and gold bars across four states.
A federal grand jury charged Tejas Bhupendrabhai Patel, 31, of Toledo, Ohio, and Navya Umeshkumar Bhatt, 22, an Indian citizen studying at the University of Toledo on an F1 visa. The charges include money laundering conspiracy, concealment money laundering, and promotion money laundering.
According to investigators, the accused participated in a scheme where victims were convinced they were communicating with representatives from their bank or with federal agencies such as the FBI, Social Security Administration, or Federal Trade Commission. Victims were threatened with criminal charges and instructed to withdraw funds from their savings or retirement accounts. They were then told to convert these funds into cash or gold bars and hand them over to individuals posing as bank employees or federal agents. Authorities say the defendants and their associates traveled significant distances to collect the money and gold directly from victims.
The indictment details that Patel and Bhatt, along with others involved in the scheme, drove from Toledo to various locations including Hudson, Sylvania, and Columbus in Ohio; Oscoda and Ann Arbor in Michigan; West Newton in Pennsylvania; and South Bend in Indiana.
The investigation is being handled by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Melching is prosecuting the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
If found guilty, each defendant could face up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing will depend on factors specific to each individual’s role in the offense as well as any prior criminal history.
Authorities emphasized that an indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. “Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
