Sixth Defendant Sentenced For Role In International Scam Targeting The Elderly

Press Release

50 Elderly Victims Lost $11 million

<_w3a_listitem listvalue="Choose an item."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="GRAND RAPIDS" datavalue="GRAND RAPIDS"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="MARQUETTE" datavalue="MARQUETTE">GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Everette Jhamal Thibou, 32, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced to 168 months in prison for participating in a fraud scheme that stole $11 million from 50 victims in West Michigan and around the country. Most of the victims were elderly.

"The victims in this case suffered anxiety, fear, humiliation and devastating financial loss," said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. "The defendants were relentless, preying on the elderly, often revictimizing their targets. They didn't care that they were stealing from vulnerable senior citizens; all they cared about was making money. In this case and beyond, we are committed to holding fraudsters accountable, especially when they target vulnerable members of our communities."

Thibou is the sixth defendant to be sentenced as part of the fraud scheme. The Court previously imposed the following sentences:

• Jmyla Elaine Sha'taria White, of Thonotosassa, Florida, was sentenced to 97 months in prison;
• Jayesh J. Panchal, of Hicksville, New York, was sentenced to 78 months in prison;
• Jorrel Tyler Jackson, of Riverview, Florida, was sentenced to 78 months in prison;
• Vijaya C. Shetty, of Jackson Heights, New York, was sentenced to 63 months in prison;
• McKhaela Katelynn McNamara, of Flint, Michigan, was sentenced to 51 months in prison.

A seventh defendant, Pragneshbhai M. Patel, of Amityville, New York was charged as a member of the fraud scheme and a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2023, but he has not yet been located. He is presumed innocent of the charges until proven guilty in a court of law.

According to court records, victims of the conspiracy received a pop-up or other message on their computers warning that a virus had infected their devices. The messages urged the victims to call a number to get help. When the victims called the number provided, they got a response from someone claiming to work for a tech company, such Microsoft or Apple. In truth, they were scammers located in India, who scared the victims into giving money to the conspiracy with a variety of different ruses.

In one version of the scam, victims were told that their bank accounts had been compromised and they needed to withdraw all their cash and give it to fake "federal agents" for safekeeping. In another version, victims were told that their computers had been infected by a virus and they needed to pay for technical support. In a third version, victims were told that they had been identified in a criminal investigation and needed to turn over money to clear their names. Regardless of which ruse was used, the end result was the same: victims were convinced to give $11 million to the scammers. Victims did this during in-person meetings with fake "federal agents," by mailing boxes of cash to addresses provided by the scammers, by wire transfers to bank accounts controlled by the scammers, or through gift cards they purchased at the direction of the scammers.

According to court records, the defendants were the U.S.-based members of the conspiracy who collected fraud proceeds from victims on behalf of the conspiracy.

The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.

The investigation was conducted jointly by FBI Detroit, Grand Rapids Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Lake County, Michigan, Sheriff's Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Clay Stiffler.

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Updated October 31, 2024