NEW BERLIN, Wis. — Roshan Shah, a 22-year-old Indian national who was studying in Canada, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison after admitting to conspiring to commit money laundering as part of a nationwide fraud operation that targeted elderly and vulnerable Americans.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Shah was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison after being involved in a scheme in which victims were falsely told that their identities had been used in criminal activities. The victims were then instructed to convert their money or other assets into cash or gold and surrender them to people posing as federal law-enforcement agents for supposed safekeeping.
Court records show that Shah was an Indian citizen who had been attending college in Canada on a student visa before entering the United States on a visitor visa. Prosecutors said he traveled within the United States specifically to collect proceeds generated by the fraud scheme.
Authorities said Shah acted as a courier and posed as a federal agent when collecting money and valuables from victims. His alleged co-conspirators, operating from India, contacted victims and convinced them that their identities had been connected to serious crimes and that their assets needed to be protected.
According to prosecutors, Shah ultimately collected more than $3.7 million from 15 victims across the United States.
The operation came to an end in New Berlin, Wisconsin, where Shah was arrested while attempting to collect what he believed were additional proceeds from the fraud. Instead of receiving valuables from the intended victims, he encountered a law-enforcement operation.
The case had already drawn attention after a New Berlin couple was defrauded of more than $500,000 in gold coins. Investigators said the couple had been convinced that they needed to convert their assets into gold to protect themselves from an alleged criminal investigation. Police arranged a sting operation after the couple realized they were being scammed.
Earlier court documents indicated that Shah told investigators he had been instructed by another individual and had made similar pickups in multiple states. Authorities said he was being paid thousands of dollars for individual collections.
The case illustrates how international fraud networks can combine overseas operators with couriers operating inside the United States. According to federal authorities, the individuals making the fraudulent calls and the people physically collecting the money or gold were part of a broader transnational operation designed to exploit victims across state and national borders.
At sentencing, the federal court emphasized the seriousness of the crime and the substantial financial and emotional damage suffered by the victims, many of whom were elderly.
“This case highlights the danger faced by Americans from fraudsters both here and overseas,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel said. He said the conviction and sentence reflected the efforts of federal law enforcement and prosecutors to combat fraud targeting senior citizens.
Homeland Security Investigations Wisconsin Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Rice said the agency remained committed to disrupting transnational fraud networks that target vulnerable members of the public.
“This case demonstrates the impact of coordinated law enforcement efforts to disrupt criminal networks that prey on victims across borders,” Rice said.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Berlin Police Department.
Federal authorities’ handling of Shah’s case also highlights the increasingly international nature of so-called “imposter” fraud, in which victims are deceived by people pretending to be government officials, law-enforcement officers or financial authorities. In this case, investigators said the criminal network operated across borders while using individuals inside the United States to physically collect the victims’ money and valuables.
Shah’s case began with his arrest in Wisconsin and ultimately ended with a four-year federal prison sentence, underscoring the consequences for couriers who participate in large-scale fraud schemes even when the individuals directing the operation may be located overseas.
The U.S. Department of Justice had previously announced Shah’s indictment in August 2025, identifying him as an Indian citizen who had been in Canada on a student visa before entering the United States on a visitor visa.