GRANT COUNTY, IN- On June 7, 2025, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation with Sweetser Police when a 68-year-old male Sweetser resident reported he believed he was scammed of over $231,000.00. The telephone scammers falsely identified themselves as FBI and a Sweetser Police Officer advising the victim his identity had been compromised and that criminal charges had been filed in his name. They convinced him and then instructed him to protect his assets immediately by converting his savings into $201,000.00 in gold bars and $30,192.00 in cryptocurrency to protect his “funds” during a supposed investigation and arrange a “courier” to pick up the gold bars to secure his financial assets. This “courier” had arrived on June 5, 2025, and took possession of the gold bars.
Sheriff’s Detectives’ investigation led to the “courier” identified as Tirth A. Savani, age 22, an international living in San Bernardino, CA on a Student Visa from India.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant on October 29, 2025, as Grant County Prosecutor Scott J. Hunt filed formal criminal charges on Savani, referenced the investigation for felony charges of fraud, money laundering, theft, and identity deception with an arrest warrant issued by Honorable Judge Mark E. Spitzer of the Grant County Circuit Court.
Detectives travelled to California working with the San Bernardino Police Department and were able to locate and arrest Savani on the Indiana warrant on November 4, 2025, where he was being held pending extradition procedures. On December 1, 2025, during a court hearing, Savani waved his extradition voluntarily and agreed to return to Indiana. Deputies recently travelled back to California and brought Savani to the Grant County Jail.
Sheriff Garcia is proud of the intense and dedicated police work by detectives in solving this crime. This investigation is ongoing as detectives continue gathering evidence on potential co-conspirators in this scheme.
Anyone with information related to this crime or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Grant County Sheriff’s Office at 765-668-8168.
