N.H. man arrested for ‘transnational crime spanning from India to central Louisiana’

ALEXANDRIA, La. ( WNTZ ) — U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Raj Vinodchandra Patel, 34, of New Hampshire, was sentenced to 51 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell for his role in an online scheme to defraud the elderly. Patel pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

In September 2023, an elderly resident of Alexandria, Louisiana, saw a “pop-up” message on their computer instructing them to call a helpline. The helpline, operated by one of Patel’s co-conspirators in India, led the victim to believe their Social Security number had been compromised. The fake agent urged the victim to liquidate their bank account, purchase gold bullion, and transfer it to another “federal agent” for safekeeping. However, the entire scheme was a scam intended to steal from the victim.

Patel worked as a courier in the scheme. On October 7, 2023, he traveled from Boston to New Orleans, rented a car, and drove to the victim’s residence to collect the gold bullion. The victim, having contacted the FBI, participated in a sting operation, allowing agents to record Patel collecting the package.

Louisiana State Police arrested Patel during a traffic stop, and he admitted to participating in similar schemes across the U.S. He also admitted to deleting WhatsApp from his phone to hide communications with co-conspirators. The scheme’s intended loss was approximately $514,000.

“There is a keen federal interest to protect the elderly and prosecute those who take advantage of their vulnerability,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “This is a transnational crime, spanning from India to central Louisiana.”

Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of FBI New Orleans added, “Victims in Louisiana lost nearly $12 million to similar schemes last year. We urge the public to report suspicious activity to IC3.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

The FBI and Louisiana State Police investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.

To report elder fraud, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Learn more about the Department of Justice’s elder justice efforts by visiting the Elder Justice Initiative page.

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