Ranjeet Singh Arrested in $270,000 Hazel Park Scam, Held on $300,000 Bond

Q: What crucial clue did Flock license-plate cameras capture that led police straight to a California suspect for a Michigan gold scam?

The key clue was the suspect vehicle’s license plate and travel pattern captured by Flock cameras near the victim’s home around the gold pickup. Police combined home-surveillance or other video with Flock license-plate reader data, then traced the vehicle linked to the pickup. That led investigators to identify the alleged courier as 30-year-old Ranjeet Singh of Sacramento, California. Authorities have not publicly detailed a more specific “smoking gun” image beyond saying Flock camera data, video evidence, and search warrants were used together. But the crucial break in the case was that the cameras recorded the vehicle tied to the in-person collection of the gold, allowing police to follow that lead across jurisdictions and connect it to a California suspect. The case underscores how these scams work: impersonation of a federal agency, threats of arrest, pressure to act fast, and demands for unusual payments such as gold. Investigators say residents should treat any urgent claim involving warrants or demands for gold, wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency as a major warning sign and verify it directly with local police or the agency through official contact information.

2 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 8

Hazel Park police say 30-year-old Sacramento resident Ranjeet Singh was extradited from California and arraigned Sept. 2 on two false-pretense counts after a 70-year-old woman lost more than $270,000.
Investigators said the scam began in late March with a fake FTC email claiming the woman faced an arrest warrant tied to a car containing a dead body and drugs, then demanding money and gold to "clear" her name.
The woman later cashed out her and her late husband's pension accounts, and the suspect allegedly came to her home to collect the gold before seeking more money.
Video evidence, search warrants and Flock camera data helped police track the suspect to California; he remains jailed on a $300,000 bond and would face GPS monitoring if released.
Detectives said the case was unusually large for Hazel Park and warned that urgency, threats and instructions not to contact local police are common scam tactics.