A South Boston resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to his involvement in a wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded a 75-year-old Berkshire County man of nearly $500,000.
Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel, age 23, admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni set sentencing for February 13, 2026. Patel was arrested on October 7, 2024, and indicted the following month.
According to court documents, in early 2024 an elderly victim received a computer pop-up message claiming his device was frozen and instructing him to call a listed number purportedly linked with Microsoft. The victim’s call was directed to someone who identified himself as “Sam Wilson,” allegedly a federal law enforcement officer from the U.S. Treasury Department. Wilson told the victim he was involved in a money laundering scheme and advised him to withdraw cash from his bank accounts and send it for “safekeeping.” The victim was instructed to package the cash in boxes labeled with his name and address.
Wilson arranged for couriers to collect these boxes from the victim’s home after having him describe what he would be wearing and providing a specific passcode for identification at each pickup.
On October 7, 2024, Patel traveled from South Boston to North Adams, Massachusetts intending to retrieve cash from the victim. After using the agreed-upon passcode during an exchange with someone he believed was the victim, Patel took possession of a box containing cash and drove away before being apprehended by authorities.
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities encourage anyone who believes they may be victims of cybercrime—including elder fraud scams or related schemes—to contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov or visit relevant resources such as the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–372–8311.
The offense carries potential penalties of up to twenty years imprisonment, three years supervised release, and fines up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by federal guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today.” Assistance came from local law enforcement agencies including North Adams Police Department and Hampden County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Brown and Dan Bennett are prosecuting.