85-year-old man scammed out of $70,000, Upshur County Sheriff's Office says | Local News

The Upshur County Sheriff's Office says an 85-year-old man was scammed out of $70,000 by a suspect posing as a representative of a federal agency.

The victim contacted the sheriff's office on June 9 and said several days before she had been contacted by people claiming to be from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“They informed him that there were warrants for his arrest and convinced him that to avoid further trouble, he needed to pay them in cash,” the sheriff's office said in a statement. “The man handed over $70,000 to the scammers over several days, but became suspicious when they contacted him again asking for more money.”

On June 12, Sheriff's Office investigators listened in on the victim's conversations with the scammers, leading officers to stake out the victim's home, waiting for the suspect to collect the money.

When the suspect arrived, he was taken into custody by officers along U.S. 271 in northern Upshur County.

Davang Patel, 38, of Melissa, was booked into the Upshur County Jail on charges of theft over $30,000, less than $150,000 from elderly persons.

Magistrate Judge Lyle Potter set Patel's bail at $1 million, with bail conditions that include the surrender of his passport pending disposition of this case.

“Sheriff (Larry) Webb would like to emphasize that if anyone is contacted by phone, social media, email or text message by someone who wants their money, they should contact the Sheriff's Office or other law enforcement order” before handing it over, the sheriff’s office said.