Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A federal jury has convicted 22-year-old Atharva Shailesh Sathawane from India on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin praised the efforts of both local and federal law enforcement agencies, stating, “This conviction underscores the exemplary investigative work of our partners. This criminal will be held accountable for exploiting vulnerable elderly victims financially. I am immensely proud of our office’s dedication to seeking justice for those defrauded, and we remain committed to prosecuting fraudsters to the fullest extent of the law.”

The scheme targeted an 83-year-old victim, who was initially misled over the phone into believing he needed to return $100 supposedly sent to his PayPal account. The scam escalated when the victim was falsely informed that $10,000 had been deposited into his account, prompting him to repay the amount in Bitcoin, which he did by transferring funds to an unknown cryptocurrency wallet.

The deception continued as the victim was deceived into thinking $200,000 had been mistakenly credited to his PayPal account. To avoid tax implications, he was instructed to send $200,000 worth of gold. Complying, the victim purchased 68 gold coins valued at $198,560. After sending photos of the coins and their packaging, he was told a courier would collect them. On February 6, a courier, later identified as Sathawane, arrived in a black Mustang, and the victim handed over the gold coins.

Subsequently, the scammer attempted to coerce the victim into repaying another $200,000, but this time, suspicion prompted the victim to reach out to the authorities.

A Gainesville Police Department officer contacted the victim, who told the scammer that he had purchased another 68 gold coins. On February 13, 2025, officers went to the victim’s home, and after the scammer told the victim that the courier was on the way, they watched as a black Mustang pulled up in front of the victim’s house. When the scammer told the victim that the courier was at his house, patrol officers detained the driver.

The victim said he recognized the Mustang but not the driver.

Post Miranda, Sathawane reportedly said he was in Gainesville to pick up a package and deliver it somewhere and that he has been picking up and delivering packages for about a month. He said he knew the packages contained gold because he had to open them and send pictures of the contents to his employers. He reportedly said that after a few pickups, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but the money was too good. He said that depending on how far he had to travel, the scammer paid him between $800 and $1,200 to pick up the packages. He said the people he speaks to are in India and Chicago, and sometimes they change names. He said he delivered some of the packages to Clearwater and that he had been in Gainesville the previous week to pick up a package from the same victim.

According to the U.S. Attorney, a subsequent search of Sathawane’s phone confirmed his involvement in an extensive elder fraud scheme, including participation in over 30 transactions in numerous states. Numerous American citizens lost their entire life savings or experienced substantial financial hardship.

Sathawane faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.