30-year-old Kaushalkumar Chaudhary is set to serve 63 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Chaudhary acted as the courier for a scheme that defrauded 14 people, including one elderly Southwest Michigan woman according to MLive.
Members of the conspiracy posed as FBI and other government officials to convince victims to give them cash or convert their holdings into gold or silver, with Chaudhary then retrieving them, including $70,000 in gold bars from a single victim.
The court ordered Chaudhary to pay victims over $500,000 in restitution.
In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Alexis Sanford advised Michiganders to exercise caution when asked for private information.
“Potential victims should stay vigilant — resist the pressure to act quickly, be cautious of unsolicited calls and emails, and remember that law enforcement and federal officials will never retrieve valuable items from you for protection.”
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
