Gold bars

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A New Jersey man accused in a sweeping gold-theft scam across five states has entered a guilty plea, his attorney confirmed to Daily Voice on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Bharat Awasarmol and co-defendant Prakashkumar Prajapati were previously indicted for a multistate wire fraud conspiracy that began in March 2023, according to a superseding indictment returned on Thursday, April 3. Prosecutors said the pair and their co-conspirators posed as government officials to trick victims into turning over cash and gold.

Victims in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia received telephone calls from scammers pretending to work for federal agencies, investigators said. The callers allegedly instructed victims to withdraw money and purchase gold for “government safekeeping,” then arranged meetings where fake agents collected the valuables.

Awasarmol was arrested in Maine after accepting a package from a victim who believed he was handing gold to an employee of the Federal Trade Commission, authorities said. Prosecutors allege he also accepted cash and gold from six additional victims in four other states under directions from Prajapati, who provided instructions and meeting locations.

Awasarmol’s guilty plea was entered Tuesday morning and confirmed exclusively to Daily Voice by his attorney, Todd Spodek.

“Mr. Awasarmol has accepted responsibility for his actions. The facts will show he played a minor, low-level role and participated solely out of financial desperation to make ends meet,” Spodek said.

Awasarmol was also charged with making false statements to an FBI agent during the investigation. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Both defendants originally faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud conspiracy charge. Awasarmol also faced an additional five years and a separate $250,000 fine for the false statement charge.

The FBI is investigating the case.