CLEVELAND, Ohio — A North Ridgeville woman lost about $1.2 million after scammers pretended to be investigators with the Federal Trade Commission and forced her to liquidate her retirement savings and sell her condominium, authorities said.

The 78-year-old resident repeatedly bought gold bars at the direction of the scammers and handed them off to people posing as law enforcement officers, according to the FBI.

Federal agents on Monday arrested Keval Vimalbhai Patel of Mansfield and accused him of picking up gold bars from the woman’s home.

No attorneys are listed in court records for Patel, and an initial court appearance has not been set.

Scammers first contacted the woman in March 2024. A man claiming to be a senior investigator with the FTC told her that Russians had attempted to h

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