GONZALES, LA — A Texas man is facing multiple felony charges after the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said an elderly woman in the parish was tricked out of $275,000 over four months.
Investigators said the scheme unfolded from May through August and combined false claims of law enforcement authority, repeated demands for money and direct in-person payments. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Zulkar Nain, 34, of Houston, on Wednesday and booked him into the Ascension Parish Jail.
Authorities said the victim was pushed to send money through cryptocurrency ATMs, gift cards and FedEx shipments before later meeting Nain and handing over cash in person.
What charges Zulkar Nain faces after the alleged scam
Nain was booked on one count each of theft over $25,000, illegal transmission of monetary funds, exploitation of elderly persons, extortion and false personation of a peace officer, according to the sheriff’s office.
Those charges reflect both the size of the alleged theft and the way investigators say the victim was manipulated. The sheriff’s office said the case involved impersonating law enforcement, a tactic that can make a target believe there is an urgent legal problem that must be fixed immediately.
Officials have not said whether Nain has entered a plea or whether he has retained an attorney.
How investigators say the fake warrant scam worked
Detectives said the victim was contacted electronically over several months by someone claiming to be tied to law enforcement. That person allegedly told the victim there was a warrant out for their arrest and demanded payment to deal with the supposed problem.
The sheriff’s office said the demands escalated as the scam continued. Along with requests for digital transfers and prepaid cards, the suspect allegedly threatened violence if more money was not sent.
Authorities said the pressure campaign was designed to keep the victim frightened, isolated and willing to keep paying while the threats became more aggressive.
In-person meetings added $90,000 in cash to the loss
Investigators said the victim eventually met with Nain in person and completed three separate cash transactions that totaled $90,000. Those meetings came after the earlier demands for money through other channels.
The sheriff’s office did not say where the meetings took place or how the victim came into contact with Nain face to face. Still, the cash exchanges became a major part of the overall loss and helped push the total to $275,000.
Detectives are still working to determine whether anyone else helped carry out the scheme or played a role in the communications and money transfers.
Why deputies say the case is still open
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as they try to identify whether other people were involved. That leaves open questions about the full scope of the fraud and whether the same network targeted anyone else.
The sheriff’s office has not said how the case first came to detectives’ attention, beyond the fact that investigators learned the victim had been targeted in electronic communications between May and August.
Cases like this can take time to untangle because payments may move quickly through cryptocurrency kiosks, gift cards and shipping services before investigators can trace them. The sheriff’s office said it is still following those leads.
Sheriff’s Office warns residents about impostor calls demanding payment
Along with the arrest announcement, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office repeated a warning that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not call people and demand money to erase a warrant or resolve a criminal matter.
That kind of warning is common in scams that rely on fear, urgency and fake authority. Deputies said residents should be suspicious of any caller who insists on immediate payment, especially through cryptocurrency kiosks, gift cards or other hard-to-trace methods.
The agency’s message was aimed not just at this case, but at preventing similar frauds from succeeding in the future.
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