MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — A 25-year-old man has been charged in connection with a $50,000 scam that targeted an elderly couple in Shelby Township, Michigan. Authorities say the suspect, Vedantkumar Bhupenbhai Patel, tricked the victims into believing there were fraudulent charges on their credit card related to child pornography and posed as a federal agent to steal the money.
According to a press release from the Shelby Township Police Department, Patel contacted the couple by email, claiming to be from the Treasury Department. He told them that to avoid pending charges, they needed to withdraw $50,000 in cash and hand it over to a government “agent.” Patel then instructed the couple to place the money in a box and warned them not to tell anyone.
Two days later, Patel drove from Toledo, Ohio, to their home and personally collected the box of cash.
Detective Thomas Verdura, assigned to the case, quickly used search warrants and the FLOCK camera system to identify Patel, who is an Indian national on a student visa living in Ohio. The investigation revealed that the stolen money had already been transferred to India, and officials suspect there may be additional victims.
Patel was taken into custody in Toledo and extradited to Michigan. He has been charged by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office with:
False pretenses ($50,000–$100,000)
Larceny ($20,000 or more)
During a court appearance on May 5 at 41-A District Court, Patel’s bond was set at $100,000 cash surety. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Patel due to his visa status.
Police Chief Robert Shelide strongly condemned the crime:
“People that prey on the elderly are the most despicable type of criminals… Our department will use every available resource to identify and arrest these types of evil criminals.”
Authorities are urging anyone who may have encountered similar scams to come forward.
