Authorities have charged two Indian nationals, 57-year-old Ahmed Maqbul Syed and 27-year-old Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, with conspiracy to launder money after they allegedly defrauded elderly Americans. According to an indictment by a federal grand jury in Tucson dated December 11, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson reports the charges.
The indictment details that Syed, Chintakindi, and co-conspirators exploited elderly victims who encountered deceptive "pop-up" messages on their computers, falsely claiming their devices were compromised, leading these individuals to believe they were contacting tech support or government agencies for help; in reality, the perpetrators manipulated victims to withdraw or transfer funds under the pretense of account security, with at least one victim directed to deposit cash into a bitcoin ATM, meanwhile Syed is currently detained pending trial, though an indictment does not suggest guilt and everyone is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
If convicted, both face serious consequences with each charge of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and potential fines reaching $250,000.
The cross-state investigation crucially involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis and Phoenix Divisions and the Marana (Arizona) Police Department, with additional support from local law enforcement in Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, and Indiana, which has culminated in the recent arrests and the ongoing legal process that will aim to comprehensively address the alleged crimes and manipulation faced by the elderly victims in this scheme.
