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3 Indian origin men sentenced in $9.3M elder fraud scheme
The five-member group helped overseas scammers steal gold from elderly victims across 10 states.
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Anushka Pathak - Thu, 19, Mar 2026
- 14:09 EDT
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Representative image / Courtesy: Canva
Three Indian-origin men were among five individuals sentenced on March 12 in a U.S. District Court for their roles in a fraud conspiracy targeting elderly victims.
The group defrauded victims of US $9.3 million by coercing them into purchasing gold bars under false pretenses.
Sital Singh received four years in federal prison and was ordered to pay US $6.6 million in restitution. Chintankumar Parekh and Mehulkumar Darji each received four-year prison terms.
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Two others, Dariona Lambert and Zhamoniq Stevens, were sentenced to two years and 18 months, respectively. All five pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The scheme involved overseas scammers impersonating tech support or bank representatives, falsely claiming victims’ accounts were compromised, and instructing them to purchase gold to “protect” their savings. Couriers then collected the gold bars or coins.
Singh acted as a handler, coordinating pickups in Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Parekh and Darji operated similarly in Arizona, California, Florida, and other states. Both Parekh and Darji are in the United States unlawfully and face deportation following their prison sentences.
U.S. Attorney’s Office officials described the defendants as part of an organized network that targeted vulnerable seniors. Investigators noted that the fraud stripped elderly victims of life savings accumulated over decades.
Investigators found that one elderly couple in their 90s reportedly lost every dollar they had saved to provide lifelong care for their disabled adult child. An 82-year-old woman in St. Louis was prevented from handing over US $250,000 worth of gold during an attempted courier pickup.
Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division stated the agency would continue aggressive efforts against such networks.
He described Singh and his co-conspirators as parasites who devastated their elderly victims by robbing them of their life savings, adding, “The FBI will continue to aggressively dismantle these types of organized networks operating in the U.S., while working with our international law enforcement partners to go after the ringleaders overseas.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.
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