Brookfield Man Indicted in $1M Multi-State Elderly Money Laundering Scheme

Ankurkumar Patel, a 41-year-old Brookfield man, has been indicted on charges of money laundering conspiracy and substantive money laundering related to a 'Phantom Hacker Scam' that targeted elderly victims across multiple states, including Wisconsin. The scheme involved fraudsters impersonating customer service and law enforcement agents to convince victims that their bank accounts were compromised, persuading them to transfer funds, often in cash or gold, to supposed safe accounts. Patel allegedly personally collected over $1 million from victims and distributed the money through secretive transactions involving co-conspirators acting as couriers. If convicted, Patel faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered property. The FBI in Milwaukee and Homeland Security Investigations in St. Louis investigated the case, with authorities urging anyone with related information or victims of similar scams to contact the FBI. This case highlights ongoing efforts to combat complex fraud schemes targeting vulnerable elderly populations.