Griffin Man Arrested In Phone Scam Investigation

Kuldip Patel

Tuesday afternoon investigators with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and CAGE Unit executed simultaneous search warrants at 3110 Macon Road Apt. C and the Orchard Hill Food Mart located at 3016 Macon Road. The search warrants were the culmination of an investigation into a scam that targeted an elderly victim. Twenty three year old Kuldip Patel was arrested and charged with Theft by Taking and Theft by Deception, both felonies.

After communicating with Investigators in Germantown Wisconsin, Spalding County Investigators determined that the victim had mailed $20,000.00 in cash to the residence located at 3110 Macon Road Apt. C after she fell victim to a phone scam. 

Sheriff Darrell Dix, “During the course of the investigation we were able to recover all of the cash and the packaging material that it was contained in when mailed to the suspect by the victim. We are in the process of returning the cash to her. 

This was great work on behalf of our Investigators and CAGE Unit and a great example of teamwork and communication between the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin investigators. Everyone involved from both agencies worked hard to do all they could to help this victim and their hard work paid off. 

This victim was very lucky because most scams do not end well for them. It’s pathetic that people intentionally target the elderly like this and just view them as easy prey that they can take advantage of. Please speak to your loved ones about steps they can take steps to not be victimized by scams."