A federal jury in Austin, Texas, has convicted Bhavesh Kumar Thakkar, an Indian national, on two counts related to wire fraud and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Court documents say Thakkar was in the United States on a spousal visa and participated in the scheme from at least September 2022 through September 2025.
Prosecutors said Thakkar served as a U.S.-based coordinator for fraud proceeds collected from elderly victims by call center scammers based in India. The proceeds, in cash and gold, were collected from victims nationwide, shipped to Los Angeles and New York, and laundered overseas.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Thakkar conspired in a fraud scheme with co-defendants Rakesh Barot, Dhruv Rajeshbhai Mangukiya and Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel. In 2025, Mangukiya and Patel were sentenced to 97 months and 63 months in federal prison, respectively. Barot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and is awaiting sentencing.
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“Foreign actors, both abroad and here in the United States, cannot be allowed to target Americans, especially our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Many victims lose a significant portion of their life savings to these scammers, leaving victims vulnerable and hopeless. When we find them, we will do all we can to take from them the same sense of freedom and comfort they stole from their victims.”
“Protecting our elderly citizens from those who would defraud them out of their hard-earned money is a high priority for the FBI,” said FBI San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Faith. “This defendant was found guilty of working with others to scam a large number of vulnerable senior citizens out of millions of dollars. We’re grateful to all of our partners in this case, including numerous FBI field offices, Indian authorities via our Legal New Delhi and the Granite Shoals Police Department.”
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The FBI and the Granite Shoals Police Department investigated the case, according to the U.S.
Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. attorneys Keith Henneke and Brandy Gann are prosecuting the case.
The conviction comes days after another prominent arrest involving an alleged wire fraud scheme.
Shannon Monet Steel was arrested by the FBI on Sept. 1 and charged with wire fraud. Federal prosecutors allege that Steel presented herself as a banker, hotel owner and ambassador for the Central African Republic while offering victims access to large loans through businesses including Steel Private Bank.