Indian Man Nabbed In $700k Gold Scam: Gets Chocolate Coins Instead

India-West News Desk

GRAND RAPIDS, MI-Yug B. Chauhan, a 20-year-old from Illinois, is being held at the Kent County jail in Michigan. He faces two felony charges and is subject to an ICE hold following his arrest in May. Authorities took him into custody during a sting operation after he arrived to collect what he believed was $700,000 worth of gold, only to receive a bag of chocolate coins from an undercover officer. 

Following his arrest, Chauhan told investigators he was working as a courier under the direction of a person identified as “Bhawsh.” He said they communicated primarily through WhatsApp in Hindi and that he had never met the individual in person. According to Chauhan, he was instructed to take an Uber from a gas station to a doughnut shop to retrieve the package. 

The incident began when a 79-year-old widow received a phone call from someone claiming to be a Social Security official. The caller allegedly told her that her funds were being used to support terrorism and pressured her to convert $700,000 into gold to protect the assets. Reflecting on the experience, the woman told police, “It’s really kind of devastating to realize how easily I was fooled by these fraudsters.” 

The woman attempted to purchase the gold from Grand Rapids Coins. The store’s owner, Ben Soldaat, who has operated the business since 2000, became suspicious when he noticed that the customer appeared anxious and in a hurry. He also observed that she showed little interest in the investment itself despite the large amount involved. 

“I got the feeling she was really being pushed to come up with a substantial amount of gold fast, and not for the reason that she initially mentioned,” Soldaat said. “Somebody was pushing her in a direction she didn’t want to go.” 

Soldaat delayed the transaction and contacted local authorities. While police were at the woman’s home, the caller, who identified himself as “Eric,” contacted her again to check on the status of the gold delivery. Detectives then organized the sting operation that led to Chauhan’s arrest.