Less than 24 hours after walking out of a US courtroom on pretrial release, a 21-year-old man from Gujarat accused in a $7.5-million fraud targeting elderly victims was allegedly on the run — crossing into Canada and booking a flight to Doha before being stopped at Toronto airport.Jay Sunilbharthi Goswami, who is from Gujarat and an Indian citizen, had been living in Jersey City, New Jersey.He has been charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.Goswami appeared before US Magistrate Judge Mark W Pedersen on August 17 and was released on conditions. The next morning, at approximately 10.25 am, authorities said, he crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada. Investigators subsequently learnt that he was booked on a flight from Toronto to Doha later that evening.Also Read | ‘Cyber crime is like silent virus’: Allahabad High Court denies bail in Rs 16 crore cyber fraud caseThe US Probation Office filed a violation report, following which the court issued an arrest warrant. At 7.13 pm local time, Canadian authorities took Goswami into custody at Toronto Pearson International Airport on immigration violations.He was formally arrested on August 20 following a US request for his provisional arrest pending extradition, as per the release of the US Attorney.Story continues below this adThe criminal complaint stems from what US investigators describe as an elaborate Internet- and telephone-based fraud scheme that preyed on elderly people in western New York and elsewhere in the country.According to the US Attorney’s Office, the perpetrators allegedly convinced victims that their “bank accounts, funds, and/or personally identifiable information” had been “threatened or compromised in some manner”.The victims were then allegedly persuaded to turn their assets into cash, gold or gift cards. The release said the perpetrators would allegedly impersonate “members of law enforcement or other pertinent figures” to lend credibility to the deception and persuade victims to hand over their savings.Where the alleged scheme involved cash or gold, the conspirators used what investigators called “money mules” to physically collect the valuables and pass them further through the network. According to the complaint, Goswami was one of them.Story continues below this adOn at least nine occasions, investigators alleged, Goswami either personally collected or conspired to collect cash and gold from elderly victims in New York and New Jersey.The victims were between 59 and 87 years old and together lost approximately $7,559,185, according to the US Attorney’s Office.Investigators also examined Goswami’s banking transactions. Between August 1, 2025, and April 6, 2026, he allegedly deposited more than $90,000 in cash into an account he had opened with Bank of America.The complaint states that investigators believe the deposits were “consistent with Goswami receiving compensation for acting as a money mule in the fraudulent scheme”.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Cyber frauds reinvent whale phishing attacks, make it more invasive & deadlyThe investigation began after the IRS Criminal Investigation Division became aware of the alleged fraud scheme in January 2026. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Meghan K McGuire.The investigation involved the IRS Criminal Investigation division, New York State Police, New Jersey State Police and New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations.Goswami’s re-arrest brought in an even wider network of agencies, including the US Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, US Border Patrol, the US Probation Office and Canadian law-enforcement authorities.The US Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is assisting efforts to secure his extradition from Canada. The US Attorney’s Office has stated that “the fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation”, and Goswami is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.