An Indian national was sentenced to 97 months in prison for his role in a complex elder fraud scheme that swindled sizable sums of money from elderly victims. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya, a 21-year-old former student visa holder, must also pay over $2.5 million in restitution after being convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Mangukiya, along with his accomplices, extracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold from unsuspecting seniors through a scheme that preyed on their trust, the court documents reveal, they exploited the vulnerability of their targets, feigning to be government officials or representatives of trusted companies to deceive their targets under the guise of resolving fraudulent charges, investigations, or preventing financial loss; facilitating the pickup of 'deposits' via couriers at locations ranging from victims' homes to business parking lots.
One notable case involved a victim from Granite Shoals who lost $180,000 after being manipulated into believing he was aiding the U.S. Treasury Department to escape wrongful prosecution linked to fabricated ties with drug cartels. Another elderly individual from Fort Worth was conned out of $30,000 after a fraudster, pretending to be from the Amazon fraud department, convinced her of the theft of her social security number and subsequent illegal bank account openings.
The arrest of another conspirator, Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel, shed light on the operation with messages linking Patel and Mangukiya, and referencing two others known as “Hunter” and “Master” found in Patel's phone, Mangukiya was apprehended later in New Jersey where, during the search, agents found cash and equipment for creating fake identity documents and the convicted admitted his involvement including the percentages received from the proceeds and his role in recruiting Patel as a courier. Mangukiya pleaded guilty on June 16, and his co-conspirator, Patel, received a sentence of 63 months in federal prison in June after a March 18 guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced the sentencing, acknowledging the investigative efforts of the FBI along with local law enforcement from Granite Shoals and Fort Worth Police Departments, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke was recognized for prosecuting the case.
