NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Tampa, FL, June 12, 2025: A 33-year-old Indian-origin man, Pranav Patel, has been sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for his role in a nearly $2 million fraud scheme that targeted senior citizens across the United States. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge William Jung in Tampa on Wednesday.
Patel was convicted for participating in a wire fraud and money laundering operation in which elderly victims were tricked into handing over large sums of money and gold under false pretenses. The scheme involved impersonators posing as federal officials—such as agents from the U.S. Treasury or Federal Trade Commission—who falsely claimed that the victims were under investigation or faced imminent legal trouble.
As a “money mule,” Patel’s role was to travel across various states to physically collect the victims’ assets. Prosecutors detailed that in just one month—between April and May 2024—he retrieved over $216,000 in cash and attempted to launder an additional $50,000. In some instances, Patel allegedly received boxes of cash or gold jewelry directly from victims under the belief that they were cooperating with law enforcement.
The broader scheme, authorities say, involved international actors making fraudulent calls from overseas, while operatives like Patel carried out in-person pickups within the United States. Victims, many of whom were senior citizens, were manipulated through fear tactics and pressured into liquidating their life savings.
Patel was arrested in Tampa in December 2023 following a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service and sheriff’s departments in Florida. Officials said that his arrest and sentencing mark a significant step in ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational fraud operations that disproportionately target elderly Americans.
Patel will serve his sentence in federal prison, followed by a period of supervised release. Authorities are continuing to investigate additional individuals connected to the larger fraud network.
