A Texas man is being held in a Maine jail after authorities say he attempted to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold in an elaborate scam targeting an older resident.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Gautam Harkhani, of Erwin, Texas, was arrested Friday during a sting operation. The case began several weeks earlier when the victim’s daughter uncovered the scam and alerted law enforcement.
Investigators say the victim received a call from a man falsely claiming to be from the Federal Trade Commission. The caller allegedly identified himself using the name of a real FTC commissioner and pressured the victim by claiming there were active warrants for their arrest on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The scammer instructed the victim to resolve the supposed warrants by paying in gold.
Authorities said the victim purchased $261,000 in gold from a legitimate online dealer. Once notified of the purchase, the scammer arranged for someone to pick it up directly from the victim’s home. The victim was preparing to buy an additional $267,000 in gold when family members intervened and stopped the second transaction, prompting them to notify the Sheriff’s Office.
Working with the FBI and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, investigators set up a fake transaction and sent falsified documents to convince the scammer the purchase had been made. After two days of surveillance, Harkhani arrived to retrieve the gold he believed was waiting — and was immediately arrested.
Harkhani now faces charges of theft by deception and criminal conspiracy. He is being held on $50,000 bail at the Twin Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. Officials say the investigation is still active and are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Jared Mitkus at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Todd Brackett reminded the public that legitimate government agencies will never demand immediate payments over the phone. He urged
