United States of America v. Venkateswara Chagamreddy

Tulsa, Oklahoma criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1349, conspiracy to demand ,oney and property while falsely impersonating a federal agent in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371.

Reported by Kent Morlan

In August 2025, the elderly victim called a phone number that he believed was Microsoft support. While speaking with “Microsoft,” the victim was told that criminal activity had been detected on his computer and that information would be turned over to the federal government. Someone then contacted the victim and identified themselves as a federal officer, providing a false badge number.

The fake federal officer told the victim that his identity had been stolen and provided to criminals, which resulted in him being “investigated,” and that his identity was used to commit federal crimes. The elderly victim was transferred to the “Treasury Department” and told he needed to transfer his money into gold and that an “officer” would pick it up the following day. The elderly victim complied and provided photos of the gold. When the fake officer arrived, the victim handed over the package.

A few days later, the fake federal officer contacted the victim again and demanded more funds. The victim contacted a family member, who explained that he was being scammed and contacted the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. With the victim's cooperation, deputies scheduled another pickup. When Chagamreddy, 37, living in San Antonio, Texas, arrived at the victim’s home at the scheduled time and date, he was arrested. Evidence presented to the jury showed that he had $500 in cash, a cell phone, and 23 ounces of gold in the vehicle.

An agent testified about the messaging found on Chagamreddy’s phone. The exhibits shown to the jury clearly show he worked with another individual to defraud numerous victims within 48 hours. The agent testified that Chagamreddy flew from Austin to North Carolina, where he picked up gold from an 87-year-old woman. Trial evidence showed that after delivering the gold to a different co-conspirator, Chagamreddy sent a photo of a dollar bill with “29 oz rec 3000 paid” written on it.

The messages indicate that the following day, Chagamreddy drove from Austin, Texas, to Andale, Kansas, starting at 1:21 am. Throughout the drive, Chagamreddy would provide status updates, including screenshots of his location and fuel levels, to the co-conspirator. Upon arrival, Chagamreddy booked a hotel room to rest for a few hours and then drove to the destination he had been directed to. The co-conspirator described the 75-year-old woman from whom Chagamreddy would be picking up gold. Chagamreddy then sent the co-conspirator a photo of a sealed box with a message that read, “23 Oz.”

After completing that trip, the agent testified that the messaging showed that Chagamreddy then drove to Delaware County, Oklahoma. The co-conspirator described the 79-year-old that he would be getting gold from and provided a photo of the victim, who was visibly wearing a Vietnam veteran shirt. The agent explained that the victim lived alone on a rural road and that Chagamreddy was actively providing photos, showing that he was lost. After finding the location, Chagamreddy provided one photo confirming that he arrived and was detained shortly after by Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.