Two Cleveland men and a Michigan resident have been indicted for allegedly stealing $30,000 from an area resident in an overpayment scam.

They were among 22 individuals indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.

Nachiket Rajendrakumar Patel, 20, and Smit Rajeshbhai Shah, 20, both of 1700 E.13th St., Apt. E15Y, Cleveland, were indicted along with Dhaval Divakar Brahmbhatt, 25, of 1791 Chester Ave., Apt. 2303, Belleville, Mich., on one count each of second-degree felony engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, third-degree felony telecommunications fraud and fourth-degree felony grand theft, according to a release from the grand jury.

The suspects communicated with a senior citizen in Washington County and told her she needed to refund money to PayPal, Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil said.

“Two of the three gentlemen came down here and they picked up a shoebox with $30,000 in it,” she said.

That happened in July at a Watertown residence, the indictment said. The engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity indictment mentions another theft of $30,000 from a resident of Franklin County.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and was notified of a similar incident in Michigan that helped identify the suspects, Coil said.

Patel is in custody at the Washington County Jail, on a $200,000 bond for the telecommunications fraud charge and no bond for the others.

The others are in custody at the Wayne County Jail in Michigan.

“We don’t have any other victims in this area (but) we’re continuing to find victims throughout the Great Lakes area,” said Detective Sgt. Robert McKee, with the WCSO.

McKee said such scams are unfortunately quite common.

“If you have to provide money, you’re not winning anything. No government agency’s ever going to ask you to buy gift cards or provide them any money in cash form,” he said.

“If you question it, speak to somebody else, whether it’s a friend, family member or us,” McKee said. “Feel free to call the sheriff’s office if you question if anything is a scam. We would rather we spend five minutes with you clearing it up than the person be out any money.”

Also indicted by the grand jury were:

* Ryan Vance Jeffrey, 43, 608 18th St., Vienna, and Amanda Mae Schmidt, 30, 208 Vernia St., East Liverpool, were indicted on one count each of aggravated trafficking in drugs, aggravated possession of drugs, trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, all second-degree felonies, from November 2023. The drug trafficking charges included specifications for forfeiture of an automobile, gun, money and property, as well as a firearm specification. The fentanyl-related compound trafficking charges had automobile forfeiture and firearm specifications. Jeffrey was also indicted on a third-degree felony count of tampering with evidence.

* Joseph David Knutson, 37, 430 Douglas Ave., Marietta; felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and assault, a first-degree misdemeanor, from Aug. 1.

* Rodney D. Hill, 24, 13229 State Route 555, Cutler, third-degree felony escape from July.

* James Michael Fox Jr., 54, Marietta; felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, from Aug. 2.

* Anya Chaneea Horsey, 33, 109 Colonial Square, Apt. A, Belpre; trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, both fourth-degree felonies, and fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs from May.

* Larry Eugene White III, 29, Lower Salem; fourth-degree felony disrupting public service and first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence from June.

* Brandon Chad West, 28, 403 Maple St., Marietta; fifth-degree felony assault and second-degree misdemeanor obstructing official business from July.

* Kevin Oliver Ford, 54, 27150 State Route 7, Marietta; illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a specified governmental facility, a third-degree felony, and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, from January.

* Brandon S. Powell, 40, 7415 Old River Road, Philo; second-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and fifth-degree felony identity fraud from August 2022.

* James Benjamin Cline, 48, 660 Cornerville Road, Reno; third-degree felony retaliation and first-degree misdemeanor aggravated menacing from Aug. 2.

* Tabitha Lois Church, 25, and Zale Kenneth Reed, 27, both of 319 Third St., Beverly, were indicted on two third-degree felony counts each of aggravated trafficking in drugs, one second-degree felony count of aggravated trafficking in drugs, two fifth-degree felony counts of aggravated possession of drugs, one third-degree felony count of aggravated possession of drugs and two first-degree misdemeanor counts of endangering children from February.

* Austin Michael Matthews, 22, 49 Thorn St., Parkersburg; fifth-degree felony theft from April.

* Ashley Nicole Henthorne, 37, 2402 Norris Ave., Belpre; fifth-degree felony theft and first-degree misdemeanor counts of theft and misuse of credit cards from February.

* Jill Kristin Bolden, 43, and Charles McCarty, age not listed, both of 2814 Blennerhassett Ave., Belpre, were each indicted on one count of fifth-degree felony receiving stolen property from February. Bolden was also indicted on one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony from February as well.

* Andrea Theresa Walke, 41, 5791 State Route 60, Marietta; theft from a person in a protected class (elderly), a fifth-degree felony, and littering, a third-degree misdemeanor, from June.