Federal prosecutors have charged eight people in a sweeping fraud investigation targeting scams against elderly victims — including cases involving fake government agents, romance scams, forged IDs, and counterfeit checks.
The multi-agency crackdown, part of an initiative called “Save Our Seniors”, uncovered more than $11 million in actual and attempted losses affecting 139 victims, many of them in Western New York.
“These cases should send a loud and clear message: if you prey on seniors, we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you,” said U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
The cases and charges
The arrests stem from seven separate criminal complaints, each outlining different fraud schemes:
- Dhruv Patel, 34, of New Jersey, allegedly attempted to collect $567,000 in gold bars from an elderly woman in a tech support scam. He’s accused of coordinating pickups for fraudsters and defrauding victims out of over $9.1 million.
- Stephen Odiboh, 53, of Georgia, allegedly received $70,000 from a romance scam targeting a woman in Western New York. He was on supervised release for a prior conviction when he laundered the money.
- Renee Thompson, 52, of Florida, is accused of creating 17 counterfeit checks from a local company and laundering over $234,000, even after receiving a government warning letter known as a “money mule letter.”
- Christopher Hernandez, 29, of New Jersey, allegedly hacked into a woman’s retirement account and stole $175,000, which he laundered. He’s also accused of producing and selling fake IDs and bank cards.
- Touhedul Tuhin, 24, and Iftekhar Latif Nieon, 23, both of Ohio, allegedly posed as federal agents and tech support to steal nearly $276,000 from elderly victims — including multiple individuals in Western New York. Both were in the U.S. on student visas.
- Elias Circle, 23, of Ohio, is accused of deceiving a local resident over several years through fake emails claiming to be from government agencies. The victim sent over $600,000.
- Estermarie Jones, 35, of Rochester, allegedly altered $1 money orders to look like $1,000, used stolen identities to open fraudulent accounts, and possessed dozens of fake IDs and bank cards — totaling $190,032 in attempted losses.
A growing scam threat
All of the cases involve victims aged 60 or older. Authorities say the scams were designed to appear legitimate — with fraudsters posing as customer service reps, government agents, or even love interests — to gain trust and steal money.
“Too often, fraudsters don’t think twice about taking advantage of our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles,” said DiGiacomo. “It’s important we consistently remind the seniors in our lives to reach out if they suspect a scam.”
About Save Our Seniors
The Save Our Seniors (SOS) task force was launched in April 2025 and includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. It focuses on stopping financial scams targeting older Americans.
Partners in the effort include the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, New York State Police, Rochester Police, Monroe County DA’s Office, and others.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire is leading the prosecutions.
What to watch out for
The U.S. Attorney’s Office issued a warning to the public, stating that no real federal agent or government worker will ever:
- Ask you to withdraw cash, buy gold bars, or use gift cards to send payments
- Request peer-to-peer payments via apps like Zelle, CashApp, or Apple Pay
- Demand cryptocurrency transfers
- Offer to “fix” your computer remotely
- Request your bank account or Social Security number over phone or email
Anyone who thinks they or a loved one is being targeted should stop all payments, save communications, and report it to local police or the FBI via IC3.gov.
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