A 23-year-old Indian-origin man, Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, has been sentenced to 18 years in a United States prison after being found guilty of participating in a large-scale fraud that targeted elderly people.
According to a report by The Times of India, the sentence was announced in January. However, in recent days, the case has come to the light from some right-wing commentators in the US, who linked it to broader debates on visa overstays and fraud involving foreign nationals.
Sathawane had reportedly entered the United States on a student visa from India. However, he later overstayed his visa and lost his legal immigration status.
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According to court records cited in the report, Sathawane became involved in an international fraud operation that focused on elderly victims. The scheme involved persuading senior citizens to withdraw or liquidate their retirement savings and convert the funds into cash or gold.
Investigators said that victims were contacted and made to believe that urgent action was required, leading them to hand over their savings. Sathawane worked as a courier in the international operation.
He allegedly travelled to meet the victims in person, collected the cash or gold from them, and then delivered the cash or gold to other members of the network. Court documents state that some of his co-conspirators were operating from India.
Although Sathawane primarily carried out his activities in Florida, Sathawane also travelled to Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and New York as part of the scheme.
Authorities stated that his individual role in the racket involved handling $6,615,484.66 in cash and gold.
Reacting to the sentencing, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley said Sathawane "preyed on his victims' trust and fear, convincing them to turn over their life savings in gold."
He added that such scams are becoming more common and noted that in Florida alone, victims lost more than 33 dollars million last year to gold bar scams. Carley said the sentencing represents one step toward justice for the victims and part of the FBI's ongoing efforts to prevent similar crimes in the future.
Following the sentencing, right-wing commentator Nick Sortor posted on the social media platform X, referring to Sathawane as an “Indian illegal” and criticising US immigration policies. His comments are part of a broader online debate in some circles regarding visa abuse and fraud cases.
???? BREAKING: An Indian illegal brought in under Biden has just been sentenced to 18 YEARS in prison for stealing $15 MILLION from elderly victims
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 21, 2026
They keep telling us these people come for a better life.
BS.
In reality, they come to steal from grandma. pic.twitter.com/CGdXM6C4s5
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