10 Charged in Florida Federal Indictment Over Alleged Gold Bar Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims

Published Nov. 9, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Ten people have been indicted in federal court in Gainesville, Florida, on charges tied to what prosecutors describe as a "gold bar scheme to defraud elderly victims." The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida announced the indictment on Nov. 5, 2026 [1].

Status: All 10 are charged, not convicted. Each faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. All have been arraigned, and a jury trial is set for Dec. 30, 2026. As the release states, an indictment "is merely an allegation by a grand jury," and all defendants "are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial" [1].

Who is charged

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

• Gurpinder Singh, 20, of California
• Yashdeep Singh, 20, of California
• Kuljeet Singh, 22, of California
• Navjeet Singh, 25, of California
• Akashdeep Singh, 25, of California
• Harshdeep Kaur, 24, of California
• Manpreet Singh, 26, of California
• Sierra Stites, 35, of DeLand, Florida
• Carissa Snow, 37, of DeLand, Florida
• Reese Lightner, 39, of Pennsylvania

The release gives cities only for Stites and Snow. Gainesville's Mainstream Daily News reported the same names, ages and charges [2].

What is alleged, and what isn't public yet

The Nov. 5 release describes the case only as a "gold bar scheme to defraud elderly victims." It does not describe each defendant's alleged role, how victims were contacted, how many victims there were, where they lived, or how much was lost. We have not seen the indictment itself, and we do not fill in those details. They are unconfirmed / status pending until court filings or trial evidence make them public.

The investigators named in the release give some sense of the case's reach: the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Gainesville Police Department and the Racine County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin. The case is part of the federal Homeland Security Task Force initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting [1].

How gold bar schemes generally work

The following describes the scam type in general, as described by the FBI and other agencies in other cases; it is not a description of what any defendant here is alleged to have done.

In a typical gold bar scam, a victim, often an older adult, gets a pop-up warning, phone call or email claiming their computer was hacked, their bank account is compromised, or their identity was used in a crime. A caller posing as a bank investigator, tech-support agent or government official tells the victim to withdraw savings and buy gold bars, then hand the gold to a "courier" or "agent" who will "protect" it. Couriers often exchange a password or code with the victim. The gold is then passed along and sold, and the proceeds are moved through other accounts, which is where money laundering charges come in.

In a separate case announced the same day, federal prosecutors in Maine said a man was sentenced to nine years for directing gold and cash pickups from victims told by fake government officials to hand over their savings for "safekeeping" [3]. That case is not connected to the Florida indictment.

Red flags

These are general warning signs, not claims about any person charged in this case.

• An urgent call, pop-up or email says your accounts or identity are compromised.
• You are told to buy gold bars, coins or other precious metals, or withdraw large amounts of cash.
• Someone will send a courier to collect it, or tells you to ship it.
• You are told not to tell your bank, family or police.
• You are given a code word to confirm the pickup.

What to do if you're targeted

• Stop and hang up. Real banks and government agencies do not ask you to convert savings to gold or hand money to a courier.
• Call your bank and family using numbers you know are real.
• If a courier is on the way, call 911.
• Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and to local police. The National Elder Fraud Hotline is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).

Case status (as of Nov. 9, 2026)

All defendants: U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida (Gainesville). Arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry; jury trial set for Dec. 30, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor. Each faces up to 20 years on each count if convicted [1].

Defendant	Status	Source
Gurpinder Singh, 20, California	Indicted (conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering); arraigned; presumed innocent	[1]
Yashdeep Singh, 20, California	Same	[1]
Kuljeet Singh, 22, California	Same	[1]
Navjeet Singh, 25, California	Same	[1]
Akashdeep Singh, 25, California	Same	[1]
Harshdeep Kaur, 24, California	Same	[1]
Manpreet Singh, 26, California	Same	[1]
Sierra Stites, 35, DeLand, Fla.	Same	[1]
Carissa Snow, 37, DeLand, Fla.	Same	[1]
Reese Lightner, 39, Pennsylvania	Same	[1]

Statuses can change. The release does not give a case number or detention status.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, "Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Multi-Defendant Indictment for Gold Bar Scheme to Defraud Elderly Victims," Nov. 5, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/homeland-security-task-force-investigation-leads-multi-defendant-indictment-gold-bar
2. Mainstream Daily News (Gainesville), "10 indicted in gold bar scheme targeting elderly victims," Nov. 5, 2026. https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/crime/10-indicted-in-gold-bar-scheme-targeting-elderly-victims
3. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine, "Illegal Alien from India Sentenced for Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims," Nov. 5, 2026 (separate case). https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/illegal-alien-india-sentenced-fraud-scheme-targeting-elderly-victims

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