Gujarati man sentenced to 12 years in US for living illegally, defrauding elderly
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AHMEDABAD: A Gujarati man living illegally in the US for 12 years was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a fraud scheme that targeted elderly people in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
The conviction was announced by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois on Tuesday.
Nirav Patel, 44, who hails from North Gujarat, was convicted in February by a federal jury. The charges included one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of illegal entry into the United States, said officers.
'This illegal alien (Patel) 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,' said US Attorney Steven D.
Weinhoeft.
The fraud was carried out as an imposter scam. Victims received texts or emails saying their
Amazon
accounts were compromised. When they responded, they were connected to fraudsters pretending to be federal agents.
The victims were told to withdraw their savings for protection against supposed identity theft and deposit the funds into fake US govt accounts. In reality, the money was stolen and sent to accounts in India controlled by the scammers, said officers.
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Patel worked as a courier, personally collecting cash, gold, and other assets from the victims. According to trial evidence, he once picked up $177,000 worth of gold bars from an elderly woman using a walker and oxygen at her assisted living facility. 'These scams need people on the ground in the US in order to be successful, and those willing to help them should receive stiff sentences,' the court said during sentencing.
Patel entered the US illegally near Vancouver. He later connected with the fraud group in Georgia and moved to Chicago. There, he obtained a driver's license illegally and travelled through Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana to collect money on behalf of the network.
'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,' said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The Federal Trade Commission reported in March 2025 that imposter scams are now the most common type of consumer fraud in the US.
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