Indiana Man Convicted in Federal Court of Defrauding Elderly Victims Out of Tens of Thousands of Dollars

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Abdul Waheed Mohammed, age 33, of Greenwood, Indiana, of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 16, 2025.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Mohammed was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud by a federal grand jury in November 2024.

In September 2023, Mohammed and several co-conspirators, including co-defendant Shalinee Vyas, were involved in a scam targeting elderly victims across the United States and fraudulently taking money from them.  The victims were convinced by these scammers that they had committed a crime or had their bank accounts hacked.  In September 2023, those working with Mohammed contacted an elderly victim in the Rapid City area and falsely claimed to be law enforcement officers.  The victim was told she had been involved in a crime, would be arrested if she did not pay cash and gold to resolve the non-existent criminal matter, and could not speak about the matter to anyone.  Over the course of a week, the victim lost more than $100,000 to the scammers when they came to the victim’s home to pick up cash and gold.  Afterward, the victim’s friends noticed a change in her behavior that ultimately led to uncovering the scam.  The victim notified law enforcement who that another $95,000 in gold was to be picked up by the scammer.  Law enforcement then conducted an operation and arrested Mohammed when he arrived at the victim’s home to retrieve the gold. 

Following Mohammed’s arrest, law enforcement located several messages in his phone from Vyas to Mohammed and others directing Mohammed to various locations throughout the United States to collect cash from elderly victims who were being scammed including the theft of gold in Rapid City.   

“The investigative efforts of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and its partners, along with the prosecutorial work of the U.S. Attorney's Office, demonstrate the commitment to pursuing, capturing, and prosecuting those who try to defraud the American people," said TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Kelly Moening.

This case was investigated Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and Mohammed’s sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2026.  The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

If you or someone you know is asked to do any of these things mentioned in the above case, you are dealing with a fraudster, and you should do the following immediately:

•           Do not send any more money

•           Save copies of your communications, receipts, bank records, etc.

•           Call your local police department or sheriff’s office, the New York State Police, or the FBI

•           Submit a complaint online at IC3.gov

In addition, an individual employed by the federal government will never:

•           Tell you to withdraw any of your money from your bank accounts.

•           Ask you to convert your money to gold bars or some other form of currency.

•           Come to your house or meet you at a predetermined location and take money from you.

•           Ask you to wire money to an account.

•           Ask you to send money via CashApp, Zelle, Apple Pay, or any other peer-to-peer platform.

•           Ask you to send cryptocurrency.

•          Ask you to buy gift cards and send them (either by mailing the physical cards or by  scratching them off and sending pictures of the redemption information).

•          Tell you they need remote access to your computer or any of your accounts.

•          Ask you for your social security number, bank account information, or any other sensitive information over phone or email.