2 Chicago men accused of impersonating feds and scamming Spring Grove couple out of $60,000

Two Chicago men are accused of posing as officials with the Federal Trade Commission and scamming a Spring Grove couple out of $60,000, court records show.

Jayesh Rabari, 33, and Nikul Nagajibhai Desai, 27, are charged with theft over $10,000, which is a Class 2 felony, and false impersonation of a public official or employee, according to the criminal complaints filed in McHenry County court. Sentencing on a Class 2 felony is up to seven years in prison, or up to 14 if someone is deemed extended-term eligible.

The pair are alleged to have committed the offense on Aug. 9. They are accused of falsely claiming to be Federal Trade Commission Agents and fraudulently obtaining $60,000 from a couple who are older than 60, according to the complaint and indictment. Further details of the allegations were not available Thursday.

Rabari and Desai were arrested Aug. 10 and made initial court appearances before Judge Carl Metz, who ordered both to be detained in county jail pretrial because he deemed them flight risks. Metz said in the order he is detaining them because of their “desire to go back to India.”

However, on Sept. 4, Judge Mark Gerhardt released Rabari from the jail with conditions including he report to probation to be fitted with a GPS monitor and surrender his passport “upon release,” according to the order. Rabari did not follow those orders, according to a motion requesting sanctions filed by Assistant State’s Attorney Ashur Youash. Rabari also did not appear in court for a scheduled status hearing on Tuesday.

Gerhardt set a date for a hearing on Youash’s motion for Sept. 18. Youash said Rabari was “willful” and knew he was violating the court’s order and will argue he be sent to county jail pending final disposition of his case, the motion said. Rabari, who told the court he is unemployed and married, was granted a public defender.

On Aug. 29, Gerhardt released Desai from jail with the same conditions. Additionally, the judge ordered that Desai’s wife also surrender her passport. Gerhardt said in the order that Desai had been in the country since April and has “been requesting to be deported.”