Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Kaneohe Woman of $137,458 in Gold Bars
A 25-year-old man from India, Harsh Fojalal Shah, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in an international scheme that defrauded an 80-year-old Kaneohe woman. The victim was conned into purchasing $137,458 worth of gold bars using her life savings. The fraud began with a fake 'Apple Support' message claiming her phone was hacked, followed by a man posing as 'U.S. Marshal Silas V. Darden' who contacted her by phone, asserting her identity and financial accounts were at risk. Shah was part of a WhatsApp group chat that arranged pickups of gold from elderly victims and admitted to making $25,000 to $30,000 from 10 such pickups between February and May, also receiving reimbursements for travel expenses. Federal prosecutors agreed to drop wire fraud charges in exchange for his guilty plea, and he faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release. Federal authorities are also seeking $162,458 in forfeiture from Shah.
