Authorities arrested six people in the Houston area linked to a scam that cost local senior residents $2.8 million.
Friendswood police began investigating in December 2025 after an 81-year-old resident lost $766,000, which the victim converted into 177 one-ounce Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins. A scammer posing as a federal employee claimed the victim’s accounts were compromised and directed the purchase of gold for asset protection. Most of the gold coins were later recovered by the police.
Investigators linked the scheme to another Friendswood resident, age 76, who lost $134,000 in September 2025. Two initial suspects emerged early, including one who drove to a victim’s home to collect gold.
Smitaben Thakor, 43, of Sugar Land, was arrested on December 29, 2025, on a Galveston County warrant for theft from an older person. Samirali Ghabrani, 48, of Missouri City, was taken into custody two days later and charged with theft of property valued at $300,000 or more. Ghabrani also faces an immigration detainer at the Galveston County Jail.
Detectives executed search warrants at a Richmond home and a Houston restaurant. The Richmond search yielded 157 of the 177 coins from the 81-year-old victim. Mudassir Iqbal Lakhani, 35, and Iqbal Ibrahim Lakhani, 60, both of Richmond, were arrested there and charged with theft of property valued at $300,000 or more. Each posted a $5 million bond.
On January 9, 2026, police searched a jewelry business in Sharpstown, Houston, and seized related evidence. Officers recovered the remaining stolen gold on February 2, 2026, at a residence in Missouri City.
With help from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, authorities searched a Kingwood home on March 4, 2026. Zohaib Muhammad, 39, of Kingwood, was arrested on charges of theft of property valued at $300,000 or more and engaging in organized criminal activity. His bond is $5 million. Samir Ali, 36, of Atascocita, was arrested during a traffic stop near his home on similar charges. His bond is also $5 million.
The probe uncovered four more victims in Humble, Cypress, Cleburne, and New Braunfels who lost a combined $1.9 million. Investigators continue pursue leads to additional victims and connections outside the United States.
“The Friendswood Police Department’s quick and precise actions in this case reflect our unwavering dedication to protecting our community, especially our elderly residents who are often targeted by criminals,” Friendswood Police Chief Josh Rogers said in a statement, crediting coordination with local prosecutors and the FBI.
The Galveston County District Attorney’s Office charged all six with first-degree felony theft enhanced by engaging in organized criminal activity. Thakor and Ghabrani remain in custody on $1 million bonds each; the others on $5 million bonds each.
Police urge residents to stay alert and contact law enforcement if targeted by similar scams.
In January, The Dallas Express reported on a similar scheme targeting seniors in the DFW metroplex. About 200 Collin County residents aged 65 and older collectively lost more than $7 million in retirement funds in a scam that threatened them with criminal probes and arrest unless they bought gold bars to deliver to couriers. Jewelry store owners in Irving and Frisco have been accused of buying stolen gold from couriers and using it to make jewelry for sale to unwitting buyers.
In total, senior citizens across the state of Texas have been defrauded of more than $55 million in what authorities said is a nationwide scam.
