"Despicable thief" impersonated federal agent, scammed 80-year-old Colorado woman of life savings
A 27-year-old man in the country illegally received a prison sentence Friday for convincing a Highlands Ranch woman to convert $126,000 of her money into a gold bars and hand them over to him.
The 80-year-old woman received a 'pop-up' message on her computer on July 8, 2023. It warned her of a suspected virus possibly affected the computer. When she dialed the provided number, a man on the other end represented himself as a federal agent who feared her bank accounts had been compromised. He convinced the woman to convert the money in her accounts into two gold bars which he, as a purported federal agent, would place safely in government possession for her. Each bar was valued at $63,000.
Later, as the woman gave the gold bars to an individual pretending to be an undercover agent, she wrote down a description of the vehicle he was driving and its license plate number. Obtaining those details was a "critical decision" that provided "vital information" in tracking down Patel, according to investigators with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and prosecutors with the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office.
The sheriff's office determined the vehicle was a rental. Other information was gathered from credit card and telephone companies. All of it solidified Patel's connection to the crime.
The sheriff's office credited Det. Eric Oppeau with particular doggedness in spite of the case's complexities.
"Using location data from the victim's phone and the vehicle, our detective was able to place the suspect....at the scene of the theft," stated DCSO in a press release. "Surveillance footage further confirmed Patel's involvement, showing him at the vehicle rental counter at Denver International Airport, a marijuana dispensary in Littleton, and at other key locations."
Patel was tracked down in Jersey City, NJ on Feb. 1, 2024, and arrested.
"If you come to Douglas County to scam senior citizens out of gold bars, you can expect to be behind prison bars," Deputy District Attorney Joe Ratner stated.
Patel received a six-year sentence for theft in Douglas County District Court, the maximum sentence. He is also under investigation for similar crimes in Delaware and New York, according to the district attorney's office. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer was placed on him, as Patel is an undocumented immigrant from India. ICE's detainer means Patel will face possible deportation proceedings.
"Undoubtedly this illegal immigrant," DA George Brauchler added, "was a part of a broader network of thieves who prey upon the elderly to defraud them of their life savings. Illegal immigration has costs to society. The victim's bravery and DCSO's relentless efforts helped us to catch this despicable thief and bring him to justice. I will continue to warn criminals: if you come here to victimize us, bring a toothbrush. Expect incarceration."
Deputy DA Ratner stated the woman was robbed of her life savings.
Her son, William Wilcox, was at Friday's sentencing.
"While no sentence can undo what happened to my mother," he said in a statement, "this conviction brings a small sense of justice and closure for the family."
The case was not Douglas County's first involving gold bars stolen from senior citizens. Just five months ago, two other men of Indian descent were also handed six-year state prison terms for wrangling a 76-year-old woman out of $200,000 in similar fashion. That victim participated in a sting operation that led to the their arrests.
