EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An illegal immigrant from India residing in the United States was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in a fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, defrauding them of more than $400,000.
Nirav B. Patel, 44, was convicted in February by a federal jury on charges including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and illegal entry into the U.S. Evidence presented at trial showed Patel participated in an imposter scam in which fraudsters posed as government officials to deceive elderly victims into withdrawing life savings under false pretenses.
The scheme involved sending text messages and emails warning victims that their Amazon accounts had been compromised. Victims who responded were directed to individuals impersonating federal agents who claimed the victims were targets of identity theft. They were urged to transfer funds to fraudulent U.S. Treasury or Federal Trade Commission trust accounts for safekeeping. Instead, the money was stolen and funneled to accounts controlled by scammers in India.
Patel traveled to victims’ homes to collect cash and assets to support the fraud. Trial testimony revealed that he once retrieved $177,000 in gold bars from an elderly woman residing in an assisted living facility, despite her limited mobility and need for oxygen.
The fraudsters kept the victims on the hook by calling them constantly, sometimes for up to 12 hours a day. The scammers also threatened victims with criminal liability if they told their friends or family what was going on.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said, “This illegal alien admitted that he came to Illinois because the state would give him a driver’s license, and then he used that license to steal from the elderly all across the Midwest. We will continue to do all we can to remove this criminal element from our country.”
Court documents showed Patel entered the U.S. illegally near Vancouver before connecting with the fraud operation based in Chicago. Using an Illinois driver’s license obtained despite his unlawful status, he traveled hundreds of miles across three states to facilitate the thefts.
The court rejected Patel’s defense that he was unaware of the scam’s nature, noting the large sums entrusted to him. The judge emphasized the necessity of strict sentences for those who aid such schemes to deter future crimes targeting vulnerable populations.
Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, stated, “This case highlights the serious public safety risks posed by individuals who enter the United States illegally and exploit our systems to target some of the most vulnerable among us. HSI remains committed to identifying and dismantling transnational criminal schemes, especially carried out by perpetrators who flout our immigration laws to defraud and target elderly Americans.”
In an imposter scam, fraudsters pose as government officials to manipulate and exploit elderly victims for money. The Federal Trade Commission reported in March 2025 that imposter scams have become the most common form of consumer fraud in the U.S. Victims or concerned individuals can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Merrill Wisconsin Police Department, the Lincoln County Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Indiana Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter T. Reed and Steve Weinhoeft prosecuted the case.
