Metro-east woman lost ‘large sum of gold’ in a scam. Tennessee man has been charged.
A 26-year-old man from Knoxville, Tennessee, is accused of stealing a large sum of gold from a woman in Columbia as part of a scam and attempting to steal gold in Columbia a second time before his arrest.
Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb filed criminal charges against Raj Patel on Monday including:
- One count of theft of property exceeding $100,000 and not exceeding $500,000 in value, a Class 1 felony
- One count of attempted theft of an amount in excess of $100,000, a Class 2 felony
The Columbia Police Department investigated the alleged scam with help from the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois. Columbia Police Chief Jason Donjon announced the charges on Tuesday.
“CPD would like to remind all citizens to contact us before sending or wiring any currency, checks, or gold to anyone if there is any suspicion,” Donjon stated in a news release.
Monroe County court records show Patel has entered a plea of not guilty. A defense attorney is not yet listed for Patel.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 5:24 PM.