Gujarat-born man accused of acting as a ‘money mule’ in a scheme targeting elderly victims in New York and New Jersey
An Indian national has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud scheme targeting elderly people in the United States, authorities said.
Jay Sunilbharthi Goswami, 21, a native of Gujarat who was living in Jersey City, New Jersey, allegedly worked as a “money mule” for a criminal network that collected cash and gold from elderly victims.
According to the criminal complaint, the fraud came to the attention of the US Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division in January 2026. Investigators allege that members of the network contacted elderly people by telephone or online and falsely claimed that their bank accounts, money or personal information had been compromised.
Victims were allegedly persuaded to convert their assets into cash, gold or gift cards. Goswami is accused of collecting cash and gold from victims in New York and New Jersey on at least nine occasions.
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The nine victims, aged between 59 and 87, allegedly lost about $7.5 million collectively
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Investigators also found that Goswami deposited more than $90,000 in cash into a US bank account between August 2025 and April 2026, with authorities suspecting the money was linked to his alleged role in the scheme
Goswami appeared before a US magistrate judge on August 17 and was released under conditions. The following day, he allegedly crossed into Canada and booked a flight from Toronto to Doha, Qatar.
Canadian authorities detained him at Toronto Pearson International Airport and arrested him on August 20 following a US request for provisional arrest pending extradition.
Goswami faces charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The case remains at the allegation stage, and Goswami is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. US and Canadian authorities are working on the extradition process.
