Lake Elsinore Man Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charge for Bagman Role in Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly by Posing as Federal Agents | Office of the Inspector General, SSA Skip to Main Content Office of the Inspector General, SSA Search toggle Menu toggle Search About the OIGOffices Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2016 - 2020 OIG Leadership OIG Timeline Performance Reports Careers About Fraud ReportingSubmit a Report What Is Fraud, Waste, or Abuse? What Do We Investigate? Reporting Other Issues What Info Must I Provide? May I Remain Anonymous? What Will OIG Do With What I Report? 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Anuj Mahendrabhai Patel, 31, a.k.a. “Mike” and “Indio,” of Lake Elsinore, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. According to his plea agreement, from April 2019 to March 2020, Patel participated in an international conspiracy that deceived elderly victims out of their money. Other members of the conspiracy, some of whom are believed to be in India, telephoned victims and pretended to be government employees or law enforcement officers. Using several false pretenses – including phony badge numbers and using spoofed government telephone numbers – the co-conspirators convinced the victims, most of whom were elderly, that their identities or assets were in trouble. Some victims were told that their Social Security numbers had been linked to crimes and that there were warrants issued by courts authorizing the victims’ arrests. The co-conspirators further told the victims that to clear the warrants, they should withdraw their savings and send cash by mail to other members of the scheme. The victims were ordered to send the parcels through shipping companies that allowed parcel recipients to pick up parcel so long as the recipients had identification matching the names listed on the parcel as the addressees. The addresses the defendants gave primarily were at locations in Riverside County, but also in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Patel admitted he used tracking numbers to monitor the victims’ parcels, and communicated with couriers – Elmer Miranda Barrios, 36, a.k.a. “Welbin Raul Mejia” and “Joe Rodriguez,” and William Margarito Barrios, 36, Elmer Barrios’s cousin, both of Lake Elsinore – who used fraudulent identification documents matching the names listed on the parcels as addresses. Patel also admitted to receiving or intending to receive 18 packages sent by victims. The total loss in this case is approximately $541,420 and Patel admitted the scheme involved at least 10 victims, many of whom he knew were vulnerable people. United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II has scheduled a June 28 sentencing hearing, at which time Patel will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. William Barrios pleaded guilty on January 4 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and was sentenced on March 29 and was given a time-served sentence of five months in federal prison and was ordered released to immigration authorities for deportation. Elmer Barrios is scheduled to go on trial in this matter on May 4. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Social Security Administration; the United States Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the Murrieta Police Department; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Huntington Beach Police Department; the Fullerton Police Department; the Stanislaus County (California) Sheriff’s Department; the Seattle Police Department; the Brownsville (Texas) Police Department; the St. James Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office; the Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office; the Addison (Illinois) Police Department; the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Police; the Northwest Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) Regional Police Department; the Edison Township (New Jersey) Police Department; and the St. Petersburg (Florida) Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter H. Dahlquist of the Riverside Branch Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is one of six offices participating in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of federal law enforcement and non-governmental organizations to combat international fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. Audits and Investigations Audit Reports Mandatory Reviews Top SSA Management Challenges Retired Management Challenges Audit Work Plans Investigations Cooperative Disability Investigations Print Share Subscribe & Connect Sign Up for E-Updates Connect on Facebook Follow on Twitter Watch on YouTube Follow on Instagram Most Popular Content Kevin M. Huse Improve the Prevention, Detection, and Recovery of Improper Payments What Is Fraud, Waste, or Abuse? 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Lake Elsinore Man Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charge for Bagman Role in Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly by Posing as Federal Agents
Published by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General on 2021-03-30.
Below is a raw (and likely hideous) rendition of the original report.