Neither the Secret Service and FBI nor the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) accepts gold as payment. In fact, if anyone asks you to pay in gold or cryptocurrency, you should contact law enforcement and tell them someone is trying to scam you.
On Jan. 13, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida sentenced Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, 23, to 18 years in prison for his part in scamming elderly victims out of $15 million in gold and cash. The investigation revealed at least 28 victims across the East Coast.
The sentencing came after a jury convicted him in October of the crimes. The victims included Gainesville resident Brian Oliver, 84, who lost $200,000. Oliver spoke with Mainstreet after the conviction about how he got embroiled in the scam…