A 48-year-old Texas man was arrested on Jan. 12 for his alleged participation in a nationwide fraud scheme. The man was accused of conspiring with another man who is located in India to defraud elderly victims out of over $600,000.
The indictment
A 20-count indictment for the alleged fraud scheme was issued by a federal grand jury on Dec. 15, 2021. The two alleged co-conspirators were accused of perpetrating a scheme in which they called people across the U.S. posing as technical support workers. The men would allegedly tell victims that they needed to correct some overpayment mistakes by transferring money out of their bank accounts.
According to the indictment, the accused men would primarily target elderly people with their scheme. Prosecutors say that part of the money that victims transferred to the men was kept in the U.S. and part of the money was wired to India.
The charges
Both of the accused men were charged for conspiracy to commit money laundering along with six counts of money laundering and 13 counts of wire fraud. They could face up to 20 years in prison for each count as well as fines of up to $250,000. At the time that the Texas man was taken into custody, his alleged coconspirator in India was considered to be a fugitive with an outstanding arrest warrant.
Defense against fraud charges
Investigations for alleged acts of fraud are complicated and often take a long time. If you discover that you are being investigated for fraud, it’s possible that you could begin building a defense before you are actually charged. Gathering evidence and documentation early on may help you to prove your innocence if you are ever indicted.
