DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for stealing more than $126,000 from a Highlands Ranch woman through a scam that convinced her to purchase gold bars.
Investigators say the scam began in July 2023 when Charlotte Noble, 80, received a pop-up message on her computer warning her of a virus.
After calling the phone number provided, she spoke with a man claiming to be a federal agent. The man told her that her bank account was compromised and convinced her to purchase two gold bars, valued at more than $63,000 each.
The 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office said Noble later handed over the two gold bars to Sagar Patel, 27, who was pretending to be an undercover agent. During the handoff, Noble recorded Patel's license plate office and turned it over to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, leading to his arrest.
In addition to this case in Colorado, Patel is under investigation for similar crimes in Delaware and New York.
"He is a heartless jerk who would have continued doing this over and over and over again," said 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler.
At his sentencing hearing Friday, Patel's defense fought for a shorter sentence of two years behind bars.
"Mr. Patel essentially has no criminal history," Patel's defense lawyer said.
Patel was convicted of felony theft. On Friday, Judge Victoria Klingensmith sentenced him to the maximum sentence of six years in prison. He was also ordered to pay nearly $144,000 in restitution.
Patel told the court during his sentencing hearing that he was sorry for what he did.
"I wish I had [the] power to go back and fix that thing. I cannot," he said.
Brauchler took the opportunity on Friday to remind people not to be afraid to speak up.
"Do not be ashamed if you know someone who's been a victim of this. If you have been a victim of this, come forward," Brauchler said.
Patel is an undocumented immigrant. U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has issued a detainer for him.
Denver
Denver law enforcement warns of AI-driven scams, offers educational workshop
As artificial intelligence (AI) technology advances, scammers are finding new ways to exploit it, making fraud harder to detect and more convincing than ever.
The Denver Police Department offered these tips to keep yourself safe from scams:
- Block unwanted calls or text messages
- Don’t give personal or financial information over the phone or computer unless you initiated the communication with an entity you know and trust
- Slow down. Don’t give in to pressure to act immediately.
- Scammers like to be paid in cryptocurrency, gift card, or through peer-to-peer payment services. Never pay people you don’t know by those payment methods
- Scammers use technology to mask or spoof their telephone numbers. Caller ID can no longer be relied upon
- Law enforcement will never contact you and demand money
For more information on how to protect yourself from falling victim to a scam, you can view online resources from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver District Attorney’s Office, Denver Police Department, or Experian.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.