Three California men face charges in Galveston County after Friendswood police say they posed as federal agents to trick an elderly resident into converting money into gold.
The Friendswood Police Department announced Tuesday, Sept. 15, that a weeks-long investigation led to the arrests of Sukhvinder Singh, 39, of Lathrop, California; Daman Preet Singh, 35, of Riverside, California; and Mandeep Singh, 40, of Los Angeles. Combined bonds for the three total $16 million.
The investigation began in August after the elderly male resident contacted police, suspicious he was being scammed. Investigators learned that individuals posing as federal authorities had been calling the victim, trying to convince him to convert a large sum of money into gold.
Sting at Pearland Walmart
On Aug. 25, Friendswood investigators coordinated a planned gold transaction with a suspect later identified as Sukhvinder Singh. Officers followed Singh to a FedEx location inside a Walmart in Pearland, where packages containing gold were prepared for shipment. Singh was arrested as he left the store.
Singh was charged with theft over $300,000 and engaging in organized criminal activity. His bond was set at $1 million. He is also being held on a federal immigration detainer.
Scammers spoofed police number
After Singh's arrest, the victim continued receiving calls from members of the criminal organization. Using caller ID spoofing technology, the suspects made calls appear to come from the Friendswood Police Department and impersonated the detective assigned to the victim's case, police said.
Investigators identified two additional suspects they believe played leadership roles in coordinating, funding and laundering proceeds from the operation. Galveston County warrants were obtained charging Daman Preet Singh with engaging in organized criminal activity, with bond set at $10 million. Mandeep Singh faces the same charge, with bond set at $5 million.
Arrests in California
On Sept. 9, Friendswood investigators traveled to California and, with help from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit, arrested Daman Preet Singh as he left his residence. A search warrant executed at the home turned up evidence believed to be connected to the operation.
The next day, Sept. 10, investigators located Mandeep Singh in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department's Foothill Division assisted with his arrest at his residence. Both men remain in custody in California pending extradition to Galveston County.
"Our victim in this case immediately reported this scam to us, and we were able to have a successful outcome, but many times it does not end this well," Friendswood Police Chief Josh Rogers said, according to Fox 26.
A growing pattern
The case is the latest large-scale gold scam investigation by the department. In March, Friendswood police announced six arrests in an organized gold scam linked to roughly $2.8 million in losses involving elderly victims across Texas. That case began in December 2025 when an 81-year-old Friendswood resident was scammed into converting $766,000 into gold coins, according to KPRC 2.
In January, Friendswood Police Sgt. Mike Cordero warned that victims were being scammed out of their life savings after two elderly residents lost more than $530,000 to gold scams in separate incidents, the Galveston County Daily News reported.
Police urge residents to talk with elderly family members, friends and neighbors about these scams. Legitimate law enforcement will never instruct someone to convert money into gold, cryptocurrency or gift cards. Anyone who suspects a scam should stop communicating with the caller and contact the Friendswood Police Department at (281) 996-3300.
