Gujarati man arrested in US for alleged fraud, money laundering targeting Texas resident

A Gujarati man has been arrested in the United States in connection with an alleged fraud and money laundering scheme targeting a Texas resident.

The Llano County Sheriff's Office said the accused, Dhyey Rakeshkumar Patel, was taken into custody on April 8 following a joint operation with the Texas Attorney General's Office.

As per the officials, the case came to light after a resident of Llano County was duped by individuals posing as federal agents and persuaded to transfer approximately $25,000 in cryptocurrency.

Investigators said the suspects later attempted to escalate the fraud by instructing the victim to purchase gold worth around $335,000, which was to be collected from his residence.

Acting on surveillance inputs, law enforcement personnel intercepted Patel before the planned collection could take place. He was arrested without incident and lodged in the Llano County Jail.

Authorities said preliminary findings indicate that Patel may have been involved in similar transactions in the past, suggesting a wider network or repeated pattern of fraud, though details of other possible victims or accomplices have not yet been disclosed.

He has been charged with multiple offences, including money laundering involving amounts of $300,000 or more, classified as a second-degree felony, as well as money laundering between $2,500 and $30,000 under Texas law.

Officials cautioned that fraudsters increasingly impersonate government officials and demand payments through cryptocurrency, gift cards or high-value assets such as gold, making recovery difficult.