Deputies learned that a resident had been contacted by an individual claiming their Apple account had been “hacked.” The victim was then transferred to someone posing as an “FBI agent,” who instructed them to provide money in order to identify and apprehend the alleged hacker. The victim agreed and provided $40,000 to an unknown individual, who picked up the cash on April 17 at a residence in Paw Paw.
The impersonator later contacted the victim again, requesting an additional $28,500.
On April 27, members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office arranged for the suspect to return to Paw Paw to collect the additional funds. As a result of the operation, 22-year-old Parth C. Patel of Chicago was taken into custody.
Patel has been charged with the following:
- Theft by Deception ($10,000 to $100,000), a Class 2 felony
- Attempted Theft by Deception ($10,000 to $100,000), a Class 3 felony
Patel was transported to the Lee County Jail, where he was held pending his first court appearance. On April 28, he was released pursuant to the Illinois SAFE-T Act and issued a notice to appear in court on May 21.
Authorities remind citizens to report any suspicious activity to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (815) 284-6631 or to Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CAUGHT-U. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for rewards of up to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest.
All charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
