Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Nov 17: Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya, a 21-year-old Indian student in the United States, has been sentenced to 97 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,515,780 in restitution for his role in a large-scale money laundering conspiracy targeting elderly victims. His associate, Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel, received a 63-month sentence earlier this year. Both had pleaded guilty.

According to court documents, Mangukiya and Patel systematically preyed on senior citizens by posing as government officials and pressuring them to hand over cash, gold, or valuables. Victims were told they were under investigation or faced imminent financial loss unless they turned over deposits. Couriers arranged by the duo would collect the items directly from victims’ homes or nearby parking lots.

In one instance, the conspirators impersonated Amazon fraud department representatives to deceive an elderly woman. Claiming her Social Security number had been stolen and linked to criminal bank accounts, they coerced her into paying $30,000 to supposedly clear her name.

Patel’s arrest led investigators to incriminating phone messages between him, Mangukiya, and two other associates identified as “Hunter” and “Master.” Mangukiya was later arrested at his New Jersey residence on December 5, 2024. A search of his home uncovered a printer used for producing fake IDs and more than $73,000 in cash. He confessed to receiving a 2% cut of the illicit proceeds and acknowledged recruiting Patel as a courier while working alongside the other co-conspirators.

The Justice Department noted that the scheme was part of a wider network exploiting vulnerable seniors through coordinated financial fraud.