CORAL GABLES, Fla. — A 24-year-old migrant who was living in Texas and was arrested in Arkansas stands accused of defrauding a 76-year-old woman in Coral Gables, records show.
The woman was the victim of a gold-purchase scam after fraudsters persuaded her to buy gold to give it to Sumit Pandey, according to police.
“They convinced the victim that her assets were being transferred to a secure government account for safe keeping,” a Coral Gables detective wrote, according to a Miami-Dade arrest warrant.
From August 2025 to January, the victim purchased about $1.9 million in gold coins, according to the arrest warrant.
“By utilizing unregistered phone numbers and a rotating password system typical of government security protocols, [Pandey] reinforced a false narrative that led the victim to believe she was cooperating with law enforcement,” a Coral Gables detective wrote, according to the arrest warrant.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies in Arkansas contacted the Coral Gables Police Department on March 18, after Pandey’s arrest there, and a Miami-Dade judge issued an arrest warrant on April 21.
Miami-Dade corrections booked Pandey on Friday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Pandey faced charges of first-degree grand theft, organized fraud, falsely impersonating an officer during the commission of a felony, and unlawful use of a communication device. His bond is $110,000.
Pandey appeared in court on Sunday. A judge ordered him to stay away from the victim and prove that the source of his bail isn’t from criminal proceeds. He also has a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold.
Detail in the warrant
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