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Digvijaysinh Chauhan, 23, and Hemal Patel, 26, were sentenced for felony theft and conspiracy charges on Tuesday, March 12, 2025, before the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas, according to the district attorney’s office. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) immediately took them into custody for deportation proceedings.
The scam began in January 2024 when victims received fraudulent messages claiming their bank accounts had been hacked, authorities said. The messages instructed them to withdraw more than $50,000, deposit $24,000 into a Harrisburg Bitcoin machine, and keep the remaining $30,000 in cash at home. When the scammers directed them to hand the cash over to a man who would arrive at their house, the victims complied but had already contacted police.
Officers stopped the suspect’s car as he drove away with the money. Chauhan was behind the wheel, and Patel, the car's owner, was in the passenger seat, according to police. Both men were charged by Lebanon County Regional Police Lt. Greg Behney.
The duo pleaded guilty, repaid the victims in full, and waived their appeal rights, expediting their deportation, officials said.
"Entry into the United States is a privilege and not a right," District Attorney Pier Hess Graf stated. "To exist in this country illegally, and then to prey upon our citizens, is unconscionable."
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