Thu Jun 12 06:34:45 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
An Indian-origin man, Pranav Patel, was sentenced to over six years in prison in San Francisco for money laundering in a fraud scheme targeting senior citizens. Patel, acting as a “money mule,” laundered $1.7 million between October and December 2023. The scheme involved overseas call centers impersonating government agents, extorting money and gold from victims. Patel picked up these assets along the East Coast. He was arrested in December 2023 during a sting operation. A victim testified about the devastating impact of the scam, including financial ruin and loss of housing.
**News Article:**
**Indian-Origin Man Sentenced to Over Six Years in U.S. for Senior Citizen Fraud Scheme**
**San Francisco, June 12, 2025** – Pranav Patel, a 33-year-old man of Indian origin from New Jersey, has been sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison for his role in a money laundering scheme that defrauded senior citizens out of $1.7 million, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Patel acted as a “money mule” in the conspiracy between October and December 2023, collecting money and gold from elderly victims along the U.S. East Coast. The scheme involved call centers operating from abroad where perpetrators impersonated government officials, such as U.S. Treasury Department officers. Victims were falsely told they faced arrest warrants or needed to surrender assets for “safekeeping.”
U.S. District Judge William Jung delivered the sentence on Wednesday after Patel pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also ordered the seizure of the $1.7 million involved in the fraudulent activity.
Patel’s arrest occurred in December 2023 when he unknowingly retrieved a box believed to contain gold under law enforcement surveillance.
During the sentencing hearing, one victim testified about the devastating consequences of the scam, including the inability to pay his mortgage, the loss of his home, and reliance on Social Security for basic living expenses. The case highlights the vulnerability of senior citizens to these types of scams and the severe impact they can have on their lives.
First Piper 