Police: Senior swindled out of millions in gold in Las Vegas

Two California men have been charged with swindling an elderly retiree out of roughly $3 million worth of gold in the Las Vegas Valley, according to court and law‑enforcement documents. Rajesh Kumar, 26, of Ontario, and Deepak Sharma, 20, of Fontana, face counts of exploiting an older or vulnerable person, theft exceeding $100,000, and attempted theft exceeding $100,000. An apprehension report for Sharma shows the Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation after being contacted by the senior victim. The man, whose property was not listed in the report, told detectives he was approached in July 2026 by an individual who claimed there was a problem with one of his bank accounts. He was instructed to call a telephone number that connected him to a man he believed represented the Federal Trade Commission. The caller then persuaded the victim to purchase millions of dollars in gold from a legitimate dealer and to hand the gold over to couriers operating in the Las Vegas Valley for supposed safekeeping. After the transfer, the victim grew suspicious and notified police, authorities said. Investigators subsequently set up a ruse in which the victim was expected to deliver additional gold to a courier. During a prearranged meeting between the courier and the victim at Boca Park Plaza, 8750 W. Charleston Blvd., officers arrested Kumar and Sharma at the scene. Police did not disclose whether any of the victim’s gold was recovered. Kumar and Sharma were booked into the Clark County Detention Center and, as of Tuesday, were being held on $1 million bail each, according to jail records.