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An Indian national, Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, was in January sentenced to 18 years in prison in the US for defrauding senior citizens. Nearly a month later, his case has been taken up by MAGA commenters to rail against foreign immigration and Indians in the US.
An image of the cash and gold obtained by Atharva Shailesh Sathawane from retired Americans he had defrauded. (Image: FBI)
The sentencing of an Indian national in a major fraud case in the US, targeting senior citizens, has resurfaced nearly a month later after MAGA-aligned commentators raked it up on X to push anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, a 23-year-old Indian national, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on January 26 by a federal court in the US state of Florida after being found guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the US' Internal Revenue Service(IRS) press release.
Sathawane's conviction followed a jury trial based on evidence presented by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
The case, however, began trending on X this week when several MAGA-linked accounts circulated screenshots and excerpts from the DOJ and IRS press releases as well as clips of news reports on the case to frame the conviction as evidence of systematic fraud by immigrants from countries like India. They also argued that the immigration policy under the Joe Biden administration was inherently flawed and allowed individuals like Sathawane to prey on vulnerable US citizens.
Conservative American commentator Nick Sortor said that the defendant was an "Indian illegal brought in under Biden", alleging that foreign nationals were exploiting US immigration pathways to commit crimes.
"They keep telling us these people come for a better life. In reality, they come to steal from grandma," Sortor added in his post.
Other posts went further, linking the case to broader calls for stricter immigration controls and student visa restrictions.
One account wrote that elder fraud cases like this were "why Americans don't trust the system any more".
Another person argued that such incidents showed "mass migration is a national security issue."
"Slowly but surely, more of these cases are bubbling up. It's hard to believe this kind of brazen scamming was allowed to run wild for so long under Biden's lax immigration and visa policies," another person wrote on X.
Other posts used the case to spew hate against Indians against the US.
One handle, called Media Watch, which is based in the US, argued that the case was indicative of the alleged fraud committed by Hindus in the US.
"Every single day you find a Hindu committing fraud in the US. I repeat every single day (I call it Hindu fraud and not Indian).Today it is Atharva Shailesh Sathawane of India," the X handle posted on February 21.
"A rapid, decisive and merciless crackdown against Indians is needed," another person wrote.
INDIAN MAN ATHARVA SATHAWANE SENTENCED FOR 18 YEARS IN US
According to the IRS press release, which cited court documents, Sathawane had initially come to the US on a student visa, but later overstayed, losing his legal status.
Prosecutors said he acted as a courier in an international fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans, who were persuaded to liquidate their retirement accounts to obtain cash, gold or both.
According to the press release, trial evidence showed that Sathawane travelled repeatedly to victims' homes to collect large quantities of cash and gold which were then delivered to con-conspirators. He operated mostly in Florida, but also travelled to the states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and New York. Investigators also said that some members of the fraud network were operating from India.
The scheme was uncovered after an elderly victim suspected fraud and alerted law enforcement, prompting a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the FBI, and the IRS-Criminal Investigations, and an undercover operation. Sathawane was arrested when he arrived at a victim's residence to collect gold.
A forensic analysis of his mobile phone later confirmed his role in the broader network.
Authorities said Sathawane personally collected and laundered more than $6.6 million in cash and gold over a four-month period and attempted to collect an additional $1.36 million before being stopped.
Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office stated, "The defendant's actions robbed victims of their life savings and financial security. This case highlights the benefits to everyday Americans when local and federal law enforcement work hand in hand to bring criminals to justice and disrupt a network that preyed on the most vulnerable."
The Sathawane case is one of several ones involving Indians, alleged of and being convicted of defrauding people in the US.
The US Department of Homeland Security, earlier this month, released a database listing immigrants arrested by ICE and convicted for a range of offences. The database, which has at least 25,000 entries, lists the names of 89 Indian offenders arrested for crimes ranging from financial fraud to sexual offences.
- Ends
Published By:
Shounak Sanyal
Published On:
Feb 23, 2026
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