US elderly scam courier sentenced to six years in $1.7 million fraud scheme

WASHINGTON: A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a scheme that stole over $1.7 million from elderly victims across the United States.

Zabi Ullah Mohammed was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, US Attorney Kurt Alme said Thursday.

Mohammed was found guilty after trial in October 2025 of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mohammed acted as a courier in a scheme designed to steal from elderly victims across the United States.

Prosecutors said the fraud took several forms. But the objective was consistent. Victims were falsely led to believe that it was necessary to withdraw money and other assets from financial institutions and hand them over to a supposed “federal agent” for “safekeeping”.