ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Two Indian nationals, Harshilkumar J. Patel (22) and Shubham Patel (25), have been arrested and charged with first-degree theft and a scheme to defraud after allegedly scamming a Petersburg resident out of over $129,000.
The arrests, made by the Petersburg Police Department with support from the FBI, follow a report filed on June 2, where the victim claimed to have fallen prey to a phone scam. According to authorities, the suspects impersonated federal officials, including a fictitious DEA agent named “Sean Watson,” to convince the victim her identity had been compromised.
Police say the suspects manipulated the victim into transferring $79,000 via wire transfer, followed by a cash handover of $50,000 on May 20. The suspects later requested another $60,000 in cash.
Law enforcement, in coordination with federal partners, set up a controlled delivery for the third payment. Both suspects arrived in Petersburg on Monday, redirected the meeting location, and were arrested at the scene after accepting the cash.
Investigators linked the suspects to a local inn and a U-Haul rental. They also reportedly purchased gift cards and USPS money orders worth thousands of dollars. Surveillance and coordination were allegedly conducted through a WhatsApp group chat.
Chief James Kerr of the Petersburg Police expressed gratitude for the support of federal agencies:
“These arrests underscore our commitment to protecting vulnerable members of our community.”
Both suspects now face class B felony charges under Alaska law.
