Two Indian-origin men have been charged with telephone fraud and mail fraud in Georgia.
Two Indian-origin men, Mihir Patel and Hemanchubhai Barot, have been charged with a major mail fraud that occurred in 2021 when the duo contacted people across the United States, claiming to be from law enforcement or other organizations.
They asked their victims to send them large sums of cash, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, by mail to specific businesses in central Georgia. The scheme, which ran for 15 days between March 1 and 15, 2021, was successful, court records revealed, as reported by Georgia’s 13WMAZ. At least seven victims sent money from other states to Houston County and Bibb County, Georgia, as part of the scam. They were told they had to send the money to protect their “legal and financial interests.” Prosecutors revealed the exact path of the money, and where it was sent and directed.$20,500 from Oregon: Sent to Perry$10,000 from the State of Nevada: Sent to Perry$16,000 from Maryland: Sent to Warner Robins$10,000 from New York: Sent to Kathleen$20,000 from California: Sent to Macon$10,000 from California: Sent to Warner Robins$30,000 from Minnesota: Sent to Warner RobinsSo all the money came to different cities in Georgia from different states and it was all directed to one person, David Williams.
The money was sent in cash to the stores and Patel would appear with a fake ID bearing the name David Williams to retrieve the parcels. After retrieving the packages, they would take photos and videos of the packages being opened with cash inside and share them with other co-conspirators. Prosecutors said Parrott was in the country illegally at the time of the scam. Both were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud for a scam that spread across the United States. The indictment was served on March 10. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia is also seeking to seize any money or property stemming from the scheme.
