BRADLEY COUNTY, TN — A man charged in connection with a large-scale money scam was formally arraigned in criminal court yesterday, where the indictment detailing the alleged scheme was read aloud and a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

According to the court record, the indictment — returned by a grand jury on September 17 — accuses the defendant of two separate crimes. Count One charges him with conspiracy to commit theft, a Class B felony, stemming from alleged coordinated efforts to defraud a victim of more than $250,000. Count Two charges him with theft, a Class C felony, for exercising control over $50,000 belonging to the victim.

The allegations specify a series of transactions beginning in May 2025:

On or about May 23, an unknown female co-conspirator allegedly caused the victim to deposit $19,000 into a Bitcoin-machine.

On May 29, the defendant — identified in the indictment as Rinkesh Kumar Patel — allegedly visited the victim’s home and took $50,000.

On June 6, the indictment alleges a further visit and appropriation of $100,000.

On June 30, the victim is alleged to have deposited a check in the amount of $90,000 into an account at Builtwell Bank, at the direction of conspirators.

On July 12 or 25 (dates vary in the record), the co-conspirator made further contact to attempt additional collections.

On July 23, Patel allegedly visited the victim again with the purpose of taking $50,000.

During the arraignment hearing, the defendant stood mute and the court entered the plea of not guilty. He was found to be indigent and the court appointed the public defender to represent him in the criminal case. The court also addressed a related forfeiture action: the defendant’s vehicle — a 2020 Hyundai — was seized, and he was advised of his right to file a challenge to the forfeiture by November 25.

This criminal appearance follows earlier public reporting by the BCSO and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) of the arrest of Patel in July 2025. According to those reports, the investigation determined that the victim had over $250,000 stolen through deceptive tactics, and that Patel may be linked to a broader fraud network across multiple jurisdictions. WTVC

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“The alleged scheme utilised digital communications and impersonation of government or official entities to induce large monetary transfers,” the sheriff’s office said. WDEF

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During the hearing, the court document outlined that the maximum potential penalty for the Class B felony (conspiracy to commit theft) is up to 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. For the Class C felony (theft of $50,000) the maximum is up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The public defender’s office indicated that substantial electronic discovery is expected — including jail-calls and other communications — and the court set a next appearance for January 12, 2026, to allow time for that material to be reviewed.

In the forfeiture matter, the court again stressed that the public defender is not appointed in that part of the case — the vehicle forfeiture will require either the defendant to represent himself or hire private counsel. If no timely response is filed by November 25, the vehicle will be forfeited by default.

No bail or bond information was discussed at the arraignment stage in the transcript, though public reporting noted that Patel was held on a $5 million bond at the time of his arrest. WTVC

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What’s Next

The defendant remains charged but not convicted. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The public defender will review and file discovery motions.

The next court date is January 12, 2026.

The vehicle forfeiture objection deadline is November 25.

Investigators continue to examine the broader network; additional charges may yet be filed.