GRANT CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says an arrest has been made in a scam case that totaled over $200,000. The 68-year-old man said he received phone calls from someone saying they were with the FBI and the local police department.
Police now say the calls came from a 22-year-old in California.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office released the following:
On June 7th, 2025, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation with Sweetser Police when a 68-year-old male Sweetser resident reported he believed he was scammed of over $231,000.00.
The telephone scammers falsely identified themselves as FBI and Sweetser Police Officer, advising the victim his identity had been compromised and that criminal charges had been filed in his name.
Tirth A. Savani
They convinced him and then instructed him to protect his assets immediately by convert his savings into $201,000.00 in gold bars and $30,192.00 in cryptocurrency to protect his “funds” during a supposed investigation and arranged for a “courier” to pick up the gold to secure his financial assets. This “courier” had arrived on June 5th and took possession of the gold.
Sheriff’s detectives’ investigation led to the “courier” identified as Tirth A. Savani (22) an international living in San Bernardino, California on a Student VISA, from India.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant on October 29th as Grant County Prosecutor Scott J Hunt files format criminal charges on Tirth A. Savani, reference the investigation for felony charges of FRAUD, MONEY LAUNDERING, THEFT, and IDENTITY DECEPTION with an arrest warrant issued by Honorable Judge Mark E. Spitzer of the Grant Circuit Court.
Detectives travelled to California, working with the San Bernardino Police Department were able to locate and arrest Tirth Savani on the Indiana warrant on November 4th, where he was being held pending extradition procedures. On December 1st, during a court hearing in Tirth A. Savani waved his extradition voluntarily agreeing to return to Indiana. Deputies travelled back to California this week and brought Savani to the Grant County Security Complex / Jail.
Sheriff Garcia is proud of the intense and dedicated police work by detectives in solving this crime. This case investigation is ongoing as detectives continue gathering evidence on potential co-conspirators in this scheme.
Anyone with information related to this crime or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Office (765) 668-8168 or their local law enforcement agency. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (765) 662-TIPS (8477).
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