Ahmedabad: A Gujarati man arrested in Texas for allegedly running an organised criminal scheme targeting elderly individuals has been remanded in custody, with a bond set at $10 million (approximately Rs 88 crore). Additionally, US authorities have placed an immigration detainer on him.
Investigators from the Friendswood Police Department arrested Suchit Patel on Oct 3 at a residence in Richmond, Texas, under warrants issued in Galveston and Fort Bend counties. He faces charges of engaging in organised criminal activity and theft involving less than $3,00,000, classified as a first-degree felony under Texas law. During a search of the residence, investigators recovered gold, silver and cash worth about $4,01,565.40 (around Rs 3.5 crore). Police said the total monetary assets recovered through recent searches in the investigation have exceeded $7,50,000 (about Rs 6.6 crore). The investigation began after an elderly Friendswood resident reported on Sept 15 that she had been deceived by a person posing as a federal agent. The victim was allegedly persuaded to provide $25,000 in gift cards and convert about $1,85,000 of her savings into gold bars, which were subsequently handed over to a courier. Investigators identified the courier as Rajdeep Singh , 27, of California. He was arrested in Fort Bend County on Sept 16 with assistance from the Meadows Place police department.
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Friendswood police chief Josh Rogers said investigators were working to identify the rightful owners of the recovered assets and hold all those involved accountable. His arrest led investigators to Patel. Police suspect Patel may be linked to multiple victims in the Houston area, and have appealed for information from the public. Authorities have warned residents that legitimate law enforcement agencies and financial institutions never ask people to buy gold, cryptocurrency or gift cards to protect their money or avoid arrest. Download the TOI App.