Lake County Gazette

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois has announced the conviction of an illegal immigrant from India involved in an imposter scam targeting elderly victims in Illinois and other states. The announcement was made in a press release on February 11, 2025.

According to the Attorney’s Office, a southern Illinois jury found Nirav B. Patel, a 44-year-old Indian citizen, guilty for his involvement in a scheme that defrauded elderly individuals across the Midwest. Patel was apprehended in Edwardsville in April 2023 while attempting to collect $35,000 from a retiree. He was connected to six incidents where he collected or attempted to collect a total of $403,400 from victims in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Additionally, Patel was convicted of illegally entering the U.S. and residing in multiple states, including Illinois, where he obtained a driver’s license.

The fraudulent operation involved perpetrators posing as government officials to deceive victims into believing their identities had been stolen. Victims were instructed to withdraw their life savings under false pretenses. Patel personally visited victims' homes to collect cash and assets, which were then transferred to scammers based in India. He faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per fraud charge. Sentencing is scheduled for May 29 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.

"The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working aggressively to prosecute illegal immigrants who break our laws and exploit elderly victims," said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois, led by Crowe, oversees federal prosecutions across 38 counties with a population of approximately 1.2 million people. The main office is located in Fairview Heights with additional offices in Benton and East St. Louis. It is one of three U.S. Attorney's offices in Illinois alongside those in Chicago and Springfield.