A federal grand jury indicted two men accused of running a large-scale elder fraud ring that allegedly stole millions from seniors across Western Pennsylvania and the United States, funneling the money through cryptocurrency and a Virginia bank.
The six-count indictment, unsealed Monday after an arrest in Virginia, names 46-year-old Amit Kumar Jain of Vienna, Virginia, and 28-year-old Trevaughn J. Yearwood of Orlando, Florida.
Prosecutors say the scheme, which operated from January 2024 through August 2025, was both sophisticated and profitable. Court documents state the pair conspired to deceive elderly victims through misleading emails. After gaining their trust, they allegedly directed victims to hand over tens of thousands of dollars in cash to couriers or deposit the money into Bitcoin ATMs.
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Investigators described the scale of the alleged laundering as staggering. They claim Jain, also known as “Buddy Patel,” and Yearwood, who used the alias “Larry Wood,” used fictitious business entities to launder roughly $26 million in victim funds. Much of the money reportedly moved through accounts at a bank in Vienna, Virginia.
“First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced the charges today, highlighting the collaborative effort between local and federal agencies to track the money trail,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
Yearwood is already in custody at the Clearfield County Jail on unrelated state charges. Authorities arrested Jain last Monday in Virginia.
If convicted, the men face significant penalties. Jain could receive up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Yearwood faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation involved the IRS Criminal Investigation division, the FBI, and the Mt. Lebanon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is leading the prosecution.