Last two alleged players in $6 million international fraud plead guilty

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last two alleged players in $6 million international fraud plead guilty

Frank Green 2 hrs ago

The last two people who perpetrated a $6 million international robocall fraud that involved law enforcement impersonation and that victimized 4,000 people, many of them seniors, have pleaded guilty to charges in federal court. ... Pradipsinh Parmar, 41, and Sumer Patel, 37, both of whom are Indian nationals and lived in Chesterfield County, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges Monday and face up to 20 years in prison when sentenced June 1 by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Parmar faces two additional years for aggravated identity theft.

Three others who played roles in the scheme pleaded guilty to charges earlier. Among the victims was a retired Chesterfield County woman who withdrew $238,400 in cash from her bank accounts.

Raj Parekh, the acting U.S. Attorney, said in a statement that "by falsely impersonating representatives of the FBI, DEA, Social Security Administration, and other government agencies, members of this conspiracy preyed on thousands of unsuspecting victims, many of whom were elderly."

Court documents show that Parmar collected money that victims sent either by a parcel delivery carrier or through a wire service. Parmar deposited the money into bank accounts as directed by the conspiracy's leader, Shehzadkhan Pathan, 39, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 15. ...Pathan operated a call center in Ahmedabad, India, from which automated robocalls were made to victims in the U.S. After establishing contact with victims, Pathan and others at his call center would coerce, cajole and trick victims to send cash through physical shipments and electronic money transfers.

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The case is being prosecuted by Brian Hood and Kaitlin Cooke, assistant U.S. attorneys.

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