Two men from Wisconsin have been indicted for their alleged involvement in a scam targeting Missouri residents. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Srinivas Putta, 42, and Ankurkumar Patel, 43, could face up to 20 years in prison for acting as couriers in a fraudulent scheme.
Putta was arrested in Wisconsin on April 14 and pleaded not guilty during his court appearance on Wednesday. Patel, who was taken into custody on March 27, also entered a not guilty plea. The federal indictment, issued on February 26, charges them with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors claim the scheme involved impersonating banks, the IRS, and other government agencies to deceive victims.
According to the indictment, one victim was threatened with identity theft consequences and deportation unless he followed the scammers’ instructions. The fraudsters convinced victims that their money had been contaminated—referred to as “black money”—and needed to be transferred using prepaid debit cards to a supposed safe government account. Putta and Patel allegedly collected these cards in person.
On September 25, 2023, the indictment describes a pivotal incident where the victim was told to bring $144,000 to a Target parking lot in Missouri to hand over to the duo. On another occasion, scammers reportedly took an additional $125,000 from the same victim. While these are serious allegations, the indictment serves only as a formal accusation; the defendants remain innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, both men could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the O’Fallon, Missouri Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is handling the prosecution.
