Two men pleaded guilty in connection to $100K scam of Petersburg senior

Two men arrested for scamming a Petersburg resident this summer have pleaded guilty to federal theft charges. One man has been released from jail and the other man awaits a sentencing hearing scheduled for November.

On June 9, the FBI and Petersburg police arrested Shubaum Patel, 24, and Harshilkumar Patel, who was 22 at the time, as suspects connected to an elaborate phone scam that defrauded an elderly resident of over $100,000.

The victim, who has asked not to be named, told investigators that a caller posing as a fake federal agent using the alias "Sean Watson" said she was under investigation for drug trafficking and convinced her to wire them $80,000 under the false pretense that her identity was stolen.

The investigation found Shubham and a third person, identified as 28-year-old Utkarsh Mishra, connected to thousands of dollars in gift cards and USPS money orders purchased locally in May, when the first in-person money pick up of some $50,000 cash from the victim occurred in Petersburg.

After the victim was contacted by "Watson" again later and told to deliver an additional $60,000 cash to another "undercover agent," local police and the FBI set up a sting operation, arresting Shubham Patel and Harshilkumar Patel when they obtained the cash from the victim in Petersburg.

According to investigators, Harshilkumar told officers he was recruited by Shubham and brought into the situation shortly before traveling to Alaska in June, but had reservations about being involved and claimed not to know the people giving him instructions for the exchange or what the money was for.

Both men are citizens of India and not related. They were each indicted in June on federal charges for theft and scheme to defraud, to which they both pleaded not guilty initially.

Harshilkumar Patel pleaded guilty to attempted theft in the first degree on Oct. 1, his 23rd birthday. His other charge, for scheme to defraud, was dismissed.

Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand is presiding over the cases. She said during Harshilkumar's Oct. 1 court hearing that, given he was studying in the U.S. under a student visa vetted by the government at the time of the offense, he likely had no prior criminal history. She noted that ultimately, he didn't steal from the victim because the police intervened.

"I don't know that I find it particularly believable that [Harshilkumar] did not have strong indications," Lybrand said on Oct.1. "However, it could also be that Mr. Patel is an extremely trusting person who doesn't ask many questions, and perhaps he was conned into this crime himself."

"Certainly, when [Harshilkumar] arrived in Alaska, there were signs that should have caused him to stop further involvement," Lybrand continued, pausing for interpretation. "And so for that conduct, a conviction as well as a sentence is appropriate."

The court sentenced Harshilkumar to 170 days flat, including time served, and released him from jail. The state was given 90 days to request that he pay restitution to the victim.

The other defendant, Shubham Patel, entered a guilty plea at a court hearing on Oct. 22 to theft and attempted theft charges. His sentencing is scheduled for late November.

Several conditions are tied to the plea deal before Shubham's sentencing is handed down. His sentence could be 364 days, according to the parties' plea agreement. But Lybrand said that could change before the sentencing hearing, when she will hear further testimony and determine whether to accept the plea and set his sentence. Part of the plea agreement includes the court ordering Shubham to pay $50,000 in restitution.

Shubham remains in custody in Juneau.

Pleading guilty could bring immigration consequences, including deportation from the U.S. and denial of naturalization, for both Harshilkumar Patel and Shubham Patel.

Both men are individually represented by state-appointed public attorneys in Juneau, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The third suspect, Utkarsh Mishra, is still at-large with a $50,000 warrant.

Resources for avoiding scams are available online from the FBI.

This story was first published at http://www.kfsk.org and is reprinted here with permission.