NEW DELHI: An Indian national has been arrested and charged in the United States for his alleged role as a “money mule” in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme targeting elderly victims, according to the US Department of Justice.
Jay Sunilbharthi Goswami, 21, a Gujarat native who lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, was arrested in Canada while allegedly attempting to flee to Qatar.
Goswami faces charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, US Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The allegations are contained in a criminal complaint, and Goswami is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Goswami allegedly collected cash, gold from elderly victims
According to the complaint, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division learned in January 2026 of an internet- and telephone-based fraud scheme targeting elderly people in the Western District of New York and elsewhere in the US.
The alleged fraudsters reportedly told victims that their bank accounts, funds or personal information had been compromised. They then persuaded them to convert their assets into cash, gold or gift cards before posing as law enforcement officials or other authorities to further the scheme.
When victims handed over cash or gold, conspirators allegedly arranged for “money mules” to collect the valuables and deliver them to other members of the group, the Justice Department said.
Goswami allegedly acted as one of those money mules. The complaint alleges that he personally collected, or conspired to collect, cash and gold from elderly victims in New York and New Jersey on at least nine occasions.
The nine victims were aged between 59 and 87 and collectively lost approximately $7.56 million, according to the Justice Department.
More than $90,000 in cash deposits flagged
The complaint also alleges that Goswami opened a Bank of America account and deposited more than $90,000 in cash between August 1, 2025, and April 6, 2026.
Investigators believe the deposits were consistent with payments Goswami allegedly received for acting as a money mule in the fraud scheme.
Goswami appeared before US Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen on August 17 and was released under conditions.
The following day, at about 10:25am local time, he allegedly crossed into Canada through the Peace Bridge. US authorities later learned that he had booked a flight from Toronto to Doha, Qatar, for that evening.
The US Probation Office subsequently filed a violation report, following which the court issued an arrest order and warrant.
Arrested at Toronto airport
Canadian authorities took Goswami into custody at Toronto Pearson International Airport at about 7:13pm local time on August 18 over alleged Canadian immigration violations, according to the Justice Department.
On August 20, Canadian authorities arrested him following a US request for provisional arrest pending extradition.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is assisting with efforts to secure his extradition to the United States.
The investigation is being conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the New York State Police, New Jersey State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
The US Marshals Service, US Border Patrol, US Probation Office and Canadian law enforcement agencies also assisted in Goswami’s re-arrest.
Assistant US Attorney Meghan K McGuire is prosecuting the case.
