Money Mule Sentenced To Federal Prison For Laundering Proceeds From Senior Citizens Victimized In A Government-Imposter Fraud Scheme

Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Viraj Patel (29, Sanford) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also ordered Patel to forfeit $145,000, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Patel entered a guilty plea on July 25, 2024.

According to court documents, conspirators placed telephone calls, usually from India, to victims in the United States. The victims were predominantly senior citizens. The conspirators falsely identified themselves as government officials or representatives of financial institutions and told the victims that their identities had been compromised and they needed to pay law enforcement officers, government officials, or financial institutions to fund fraud investigations. Patel's role was as a mule who picked up money and gold from victims and transported it to co-conspirators. The fraud proceeds were then distributed to other conspirators in the United States.

For instance, in April 2024, co-conspirators called a senior citizen in Pinellas County and falsely impersonated officials with the Federal Reserve. They falsely told the victim that her identity and bank accounts had been compromised and demanded she pay approximately $71,000 to remedy the identity theft. The co-conspirators instructed the victim to provide them with remote access to her computer, through which the conspirators wired $71,000 from the victim's bank account to a precious metals company for the purchase and delivery of gold bars to the victim's residence. The victim provided those gold bars to a conspirator in April 2024­. The following month, the conspirators made additional false statements to persuade the victim to provide more gold. On May 8, 2024, Patel traveled to the victim's home and retrieved from the victim a package containing $50,000. Law enforcement arrested Patel with the $50,000.

Investigators determined that between April and May 2024, Patel and his co-conspirators laundered at least $216,000 in fraud proceeds and tried to launder $50,000 in additional proceeds.

"Patel and his co-conspirators preyed on law-abiding citizens by pretending to be government officials," said Robert Engel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Tampa Field Office. "He showed no regard for the law, or those he scammed. This sentence should serve as a warning to potential thieves that they will be caught and prosecuted. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating cases of fraud and to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims of financial crime across the country."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can 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 inappropriate 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 hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.