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Montgomery County police have charged 26-year-old Yash Shah of Baldwin, New York, in a government-imposter scam that defrauded an 88-year-old woman and her 61-year-old daughter out of millions worth of gold bars.
Authorities said this is the first reported scam of its kind in the county.
According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, the scheme began in February 2023, when the victims were contacted by someone claiming to be with the Department of Justice.
The caller allegedly falsely accused the victims of having their bank accounts tied to serious criminal activities, including child pornography, human trafficking, and illegal gambling, police said.
The victims were coerced into transferring their assets into cryptocurrency and gold bars under the guise of clearing their names, authorities said, and over five months, they completed several deliveries of gold bars totaling $2.3 million.
Detectives from Montgomery County’s Financial Crimes Section, with assistance from law enforcement in New York, identified Shah as one of the couriers who collected a delivery of gold bars worth over $83,000, leading to a warrant that was issued for his arrest.
Shah was apprehended in Nassau County this week, and is being held awaiting extradition to Maryland to face charges.
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