The US has sentenced Indian citizen Venkateswara Chagamreddy, who was living in the country on a student visa, to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud an elderly Vietnam veteran, the US Justice Department said.
Chagamreddy, 37, who was living in San Antonio, Texas, was also ordered to pay $99,496 in restitution to the victim. After completing his prison sentence, he is expected to face removal proceedings, according to the Justice Department.
Who is Venkateswara Chagamreddy?
Chagamreddy is an Indian citizen who was in the United States on a student visa. He was convicted by a federal jury in April 2026 for conspiring to defraud an elderly Vietnam veteran.
US District Judge John D. Russell sentenced him to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Chagamreddy remains in custody pending his transfer to the Bureau of Prisons.
{{/usCountry}}US District Judge John D. Russell sentenced him to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Chagamreddy remains in custody pending his transfer to the Bureau of Prisons.
{{/usCountry}}According to the DOJ, Chagamreddy was part of a group that targeted elderly people through impersonation and fraud schemes.
How did the fraud scheme work?
The case began in August 2025, when the elderly victim called a phone number he believed belonged to Microsoft support.
The person on the other end falsely claimed that criminal activity had been detected on the victim's computer. The victim was then connected to someone posing as a federal officer, who falsely claimed that the victim's identity had been stolen and used to commit federal crimes.
The victim was eventually transferred to someone posing as a Treasury Department official. He was instructed to move his money into gold and was told that an officer would collect it.
The victim followed the instructions, sent photographs of the gold and handed over a package to a person posing as an official.
When more money was demanded days later, the victim contacted a family member, who recognized the fraud and contacted the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.
How was Chagamreddy caught?
Investigators arranged another gold pickup after the victim's family contacted authorities. Chagamreddy arrived at the location and was arrested.
Authorities found $500 in cash, a cellphone and 23 ounces of gold in his vehicle.
Evidence presented during the case showed that Chagamreddy had communicated with another person involved in the scheme. Investigators also linked him to trips across several states to collect gold from elderly victims.
The DOJ said Chagamreddy had travelled from Texas to North Carolina, Kansas and Oklahoma as part of the operation.
What happens to Chagamreddy now?
Chagamreddy will serve 30 months in federal prison and then three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $99,496 in restitution and is expected to face removal proceedings after completing his sentence.
US Attorney Christopher J. Nassar said the case showed how elder-fraud schemes can use fear and deception to target vulnerable victims.
The DOJ said its broader elder-fraud enforcement efforts in 2025 involved more than 280 enforcement actions against over 600 defendants and collectively targeted more than $2.3 billion from more than one million Americans.