Three Florida men have been charged with theft in Tennessee.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said 59-year-old Gopalbhai Shivramdas Patel, 35-year-old Riptesh Hasmukhlal Patel, and 63-year-old Ashokkumar Prabhakar Raval have all been arrested.
The three were involved in receiving and laundering money through a scam. Victims of the scam were contacted by phone and threatened with arrest if they didn’t deposit money.
Throughout a three-month period in 2014 and 2015, the three suspects received more than $900,000 and funneled the money into overseas accounts.
During the investigation, it was discovered the fraudulent bank accounts were initially opened in Williamson County.
TBI agents obtained warrants on Wednesday out of Williamson County, and the three men were arrested Friday. Two were taken into custody in Orlando, Florida, and the third was arrested in Tampa, Florida.
They have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft over $250,000 and one count of money laundering. They were being held without bond.
