A 37-year-old Indian national who is living in the U.S. on a student visa has been sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding a Vietnam veteran.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Venkateswara Chagamreddy, of San Antonio, Texas, to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He’s ordered to pay $99,496 in restitution to the unnamed veteran after he defrauded him in a series of scam text messages.
Chagamreddy communicated with the veteran, of Delaware County, Okla., via text message in April and told him to liquidate his bank account and purchase gold in April. The veteran thought he was contacting Microsoft support and “Microsoft” told him that criminal activity had been detected on his computer and that he would be referred to a federal officer.
A fake federal officer then told him to transfer his money to avoid his identity being used to commit federal crimes.
The veteran gave Chagamreddy almost $65,000. Upon learning that the victim had almost $1 million in his retirement accounts, the suspect asked the elderly man to speak to his financial advisor and request $200,000 to $300,000 for hotels in Hong Kong.
He then changed the request to ask for $500,000, according to court documents cited by KSN 16.
Chagamreddy also scammed an 87-year-old woman from North Carolina, trial testimony alleged.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that military members, veterans and military families reported losing $684 million to fraud in 2025.
According to a 2025 survey by AARP Research, 39% of veterans had been solicited by someone claiming to represent the VA or another government agency. Another 28% believed their veteran status made them a target.
More than a quarter said they had lost money to fraud, with most losing over $500.
How Law Enforcement Found, Arrested the Fraudster
Delaware County Sheriffs arranged a sting operation and arrested Chagamreddy as the veteran suspected he was being scammed.
Chagamreddy “used fear to deceive and extort a Vietnam veteran who served our country,” U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar said in a press release.
“Elder fraud schemes are despicable, calculated attacks that prey on some of the most vulnerable and trusting members of our community,” Nassar said. “Because the victim came forward, and thanks to law enforcement’s coordinated, swift response and the efforts of AUSAs Charles Greenough and Augustus Forster, Chagamreddy was brought to justice.”
Chagamreddy will remain in custody before authorities transfer him to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He will face citizenship removal proceedings following his sentence.
