Austin, TX, November 16, 2025: Twenty-one-year-old Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya, an Indian national who arrived in the United States on a student visa, has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and ordered to repay more than $2.5 million to victims of an elder fraud scheme.
Mangukiya pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, admitting that he helped move proceeds generated through nationwide scams that targeted elderly Americans. According to federal prosecutors, victims were contacted by impostors posing as government or financial-institution officials and were falsely told they were under investigation or that their accounts had been compromised. Under pressure, many victims withdrew large sums of cash or valuables, including gold, which were then handed over to couriers.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Mangukiya received money and gold from victims, recruited at least one courier, and kept a 2% commission on the illicit proceeds he handled. The scheme defrauded victims of more than $2.5 million…