Illinois man charged after Rochester sting catches phone scammer with $50K in cash

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 9) – A man from Illinois is facing felony charges after police say he took part in a scheme that convinced a Rochester resident to hand over thousands of dollars in cash and nearly fell for a gold bar handoff.

Rochester phone scam

What we know:

According to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County District Court, police say the victim was contacted by phone and told he was under investigation for a crime. The caller convinced him to deliver $30,000 in cash to a man he met in person on June 17, 2026. 

The victim was then pressured to arrange a second delivery — this time, 10 one-ounce gold bars — on June 23, 2026. Detectives worked with the victim to set up a controlled delivery using fake gold bars and a GPS tracker.

Charges state that the plan was for the victim to meet whoever arrived to pick up the package, while officers watched nearby. Surveillance officers saw a white SUV with Illinois plates circling the parking lot at 2711 Commerce Drive NW in Rochester.

The complaint states a man, later identified as Kiranbhai Kanubhai Vasava, got out, met the victim, gave the password and took the package. Officers followed the car as it left the scene. Detectives stop suspects and recover cash 

Why you should care:

Police stopped the SUV near Eyota and searched it, finding $50,000 in cash, several cell phones, bank checks with Vasava’s name, and packaging materials similar to those used for the fake gold bars. The package with the GPS tracker and fake gold was missing, but officers later found the GPS device torn apart on the side of the highway. 

The second man in the car, Hemendrasinh Pravinsinh Dabhi, told police he got a call from India about a package but claimed he knew nothing about it, saying, “he just drives.” Vasava also denied knowing what was happening. 

Kiranbhai Vasava linked to Wisconsin case

The backstory:

The complaint states detectives linked Vasava to another similar case in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where a bank customer was convinced to hand over $50,000 in cash to a driver in a white Honda SUV. Video from that incident showed Vasava receiving the package.

Police say this type of swindle involves convincing victims they are under investigation and must pay money or hand over valuables to clear their name. Detectives say the investigation involved coordination between local police and law enforcement in Wisconsin.