EAST ST. LOUIS — A federal judge sentenced Ligneshkumar H. Patel, a 38-year-old Indian national, to 90 months in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, for his role in an imposter scheme that defrauded 11 identified victims, including elderly residents in Edwardsville and St. Louis. Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and financial institution fraud, as well as two counts of wire fraud, and was ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Edwardsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed prosecuted the case.
According to court documents, Patel acted as a courier, traveling to the homes of elderly victims in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin to collect money and gold, which totaled $2,231,216.99. The scheme was part of a larger conspiracy that involved at least 85 additional victims and resulted in intended losses exceeding $6.9 million…