3 California suspects arrested in large-scale gold scheme across Texas, officials say
Three men allegedly posed as federal employees to scam a man out of money.
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas -- An organized gold scam has ended after authorities arrested three people in connection with the case in which an elderly Texas resident was targeted, according to the Friendswood Police Department.
Officials said Daman Preet Singh, Mandeep Singh, and Sukhvinder Singh were arrested for allegedly posing as federal authorities and trying to coerce a man to convert large lump sums of money into gold.
In August 2026, the victim initially contacted police after he became suspicious that he was being scammed when the suspects called him. Friendswood police began the investigation and learned that the suspects posed as federal employees.
Investigators worked with the victim and planned a fake transaction to identify one suspect: Sukhvinder, from Lathrop, California. Investigators traced him to a FedEx store where the gold packages were kept. Officers then arrested him as he exited the store. Galveston County charged him with theft of over $300,000 and engaging in Organized Criminal Activity. His bond was set at $1 million.
Singh is also being held on a federal immigration detainer.
Investigators said that although Singh had been arrested, the victim was still receiving calls from an alleged criminal organization. Further investigation found that, using spoofing technology, the suspects made calls that appeared to originate from the Friendswood Police Department and falsely said they were law enforcement agents, officials said.
Investigators identified Daman of Riverside and Mandeep of Los Angeles as suspects and obtained arrest warrants in Galveston County for organized criminal activity.
This led Friendswood officers to travel to California on September 9, 2026, with help from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. While there, Friendswood police executed a search warrant at homes believed to be connected to the schemes.
Both Mandeep and Daman were placed into custody. Officials said Mandeep's bond was set at $5 million while Daman's was set at $10 million. They have remained in California while awaiting extradition back to Galveston County, officials said.
This was not the first large-scale gold scheme conducted by the Friendswood police. In March 2026, the department announced the arrests of six suspects in connection with an organized gold scam linked to about $2.8 million in losses involving elderly victims in Texas alone.
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“The professionalism, time, and effort that we were shown while in California were truly remarkable. The support we received from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit and the LAPD Foothill Division went far beyond what we could have asked for. We are incredibly grateful for their assistance and the way they welcomed and supported the Friendswood Police Department,” Chief Josh Rogers said.
Anyone who believes they or someone they know may be the target of a similar scam should stop communicating with the suspected scammers and immediately contact their local law enforcement agency.
