Elderly Online Defraud Scheme

United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Raj Vinodchandra Patel, 34, of New Hampshire, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 51 months in prison for his role in an online scheme to defraud the elderly. On June 20, 2024, Patel pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In September 2023, an elderly resident in Louisiana encountered a “pop-up” message on their computer screen directing them to call a computer “helpline.” This helpline, however, was operated by one of Patel’s co-conspirators based in India...