An Indian national, Kalpeshkumar Rasikbhai Patel, is on the “wanted” list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the US. They said on Wednesday that Patel allegedly defrauded multiple victims between 2017 and 2021.
In a post on X, the FBI said that 35-year-old Patel, also known as “Kenny”, is believed to be residing or travelling between Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Who is Kalpeshkumar Rasikbhai Patel?
Kalpeshkumar Rasikbhai Patel, who worked as a fuel station attendant, is wanted in the United States for a mail and wire fraud conspiracy.
Born on 17 May 1991, the FBI said he goes by multiple aliases, including Mecco, Kenny, and Kalpesh Patel.
On 22 June 2023, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Patel in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, London, Kentucky, after he was charged with Mail and Wire Fraud Conspiracy.
Patel is considered a fugitive from justice, and any information regarding his whereabouts should be treated as significant and actionable, the FBI said.
The FBI has asked to share information about Patel with the local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
Patel is believed to be residing in or travelling between Illinois and Pennsylvania, the FBI said.
What fraud did Kalpeshkumar Rasikbhai Patel commit?
Kalpeshkumar Patel is wanted for his alleged participation in a nationwide scheme to defraud multiple victims into transmitting large sums of money between 2017 and 2021, the FBI said in its press release.
The investigative agency said many victims were contacted via telephone communications and deceived into believing their personal information or identities were associated with criminal activities.
It said the victims were convinced to send funds, usually in the form of cash and prepaid debit cards, to addresses throughout the United States.
Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel on FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives
The FBI on Wednesday said it was increasing the reward money for tip-offs on fugitives on its Ten Most Wanted list to $1 million. Earlier, the reward money was $2,50,000.
The list also includes an Indian national on the run in an 11-year-old murder case and features for the first time a cyber criminal wanted for allegedly leading an international ATM jackpotting scheme.
Indian national Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel has been on the run after allegedly killing his wife on 12 April 2015, in a doughnut shop in Hanover, Maryland, and was last spotted in Newark, New Jersey.
The FBI said Bhadreshkumar Patel would be about 35 now and should be considered “armed and extremely dangerous.”
A report in the Washington Post said Patel has been on the Top Ten list since 2017, and remains the longest-tenured person on the current list.