Police arrest New York man for Millsboro area scam

MILLSBORO, Del. – A New York man has been arrested on charges stemming from a scam in the Millsboro area.

In February 2024, a Millsboro woman contacted police to report that starting in October 2023, a suspect had impersonated a federal agent and convinced the victim that she needed to convert money to gold. He reportedly told her to give it to him for transport to the U.S. Treasury for safe keeping.

Further investigation led detectives to identify one of the suspects as 35-year-old Rakeshkumar Patel of Flushing, New York. Patel was arrested near Millsboro earlier this week and charged with theft over $100,000 and wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony. He was subsequently held on a $103,000 cash bond.

The investigation is continuing, with detectives working to identify additional suspects. Anyone who may have been defrauded in a similar manner is asked to contact police or Delaware Crime Stoppers.