2 Ohio men charged in connection with Bourbon County IRS scam

BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — Two men from Ohio have been arrested in connection with a Bourbon County scam with help from the FBI.

The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said deputies were dispatched on June 4 to meet with a victim in the area in response to a possible scam involving people imitating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents.

The scam began on April 16 when the victim reportedly received an email saying an account of hers had been hacked, per authorities. Once the victim clicked on a link in that email, she got a call from people “portraying themselves as IRS agents,” BCSO said.

The “agents” told the victim that she would need to relocate all of her “unsafe” finances to a “federal safety locker,” according to investigators. This process involved making withdrawals from her bank account, depositing the funds at a BitCoin location, and then wiring additional money to an account in New York to purchase gold bars. Once the bars were shipped to the victim’s address, she would notify the “agents,” who would then retrieve the package.

Law enforcement said the scammers were in “almost constant contact” with the victim during the process.

After the woman completed the tasks, the scammers allegedly harassed her to perform these steps again. She complied but was also able to contact BCSO during the second series of transactions, according to authorities.

BCSO said deputies requested FBI assistance involving the scam, which had provided “information and guidance” in similar situations.

In cooperation with the FBI, BCSO said deputies listened into phone conversations with the victim and the “IRS agents,” where plans were made to pick up a second package of gold bars.

On June 11, two men in a car with an Ohio license plate were seen picking up a package that had been placed at the victim’s home, according to law enforcement.

Sanjaybhai Patel, 29, and 26-year-old Akshay Rai Priyadarshi, both from Beaver Creek, Ohio, were charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $10,000.

Patel and Priyadarshi were both lodged in the Bourbon County Detention Center.

Sheriff Asbury expressed his gratitude in a news release for the deputies who “worked so hard” to give the victim peace of mind and “for being so committed to their community.”