A Los Angeles man who traveled to rural Pike County to collect tens of thousands of dollars from an elderly scam victim has been sentenced to state prison.
According to online court records, Akhmet Kuzgov, 27, was sentenced on Dec. 9, 2025, after pleading guilty to a single count of Class 3 felony theft between $10,000 and $100,000. Pike County Circuit Judge J. Frank McCartney sentenced Kuzgov to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and imposed a $500 fine. Kuzgov received credit for 118 days already served in the Pike County Jail.
The case stems from a sophisticated financial scam reported to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 12, 2025. Investigators said the victim, a man over the age of 70 who lives outside Barry, Illinois, received a message claiming there was a problem with a payment on his Apple Pay account.
After responding to the message, the victim was contacted by an individual who told him his Social Security number had been compromised. The caller further claimed that a federal law enforcement officer was on the way to the victim’s residence and that the victim needed to pay $40,000 in cash to resolve the issue.
Fearing legal consequences, the victim complied. Within hours, Kuzgov arrived at the victim’s home and collected the cash, authorities said. After the exchange, the victim contacted the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.
Pike County Deputy Steve Lowry immediately began investigating the case and monitored continued telephone contact between the victim and Kuzgov. Investigators said Kuzgov later demanded an additional $40,000 in cash.
On Aug. 14, 2025, at approximately 1:50 p.m., deputies located and arrested Kuzgov at the victim’s residence. He was charged with theft over $10,000 and booked into the Pike County Jail.
The investigation quickly expanded beyond the local level. The Pike County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and later that evening the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a federal warrant for Kuzgov’s arrest. Authorities have said they believe the scam is tied to an international crime ring targeting small communities.
Around the same time, the City of Pittsfield received a similar scam complaint. In that case, a bank employee contacted a family member, who then alerted law enforcement before any money was exchanged.
Chief Deputy Zack Orr praised the response by investigators and warned residents about the growing danger posed by these schemes.
“Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to intimidate and defraud citizens,” Orr said. “We urge everyone to be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls or messages and to verify information with local law enforcement before taking any action. If you are in legal trouble, a legitimate law enforcement agency will contact you in person — not through text messages or spam calls.”
Orr also commended Deputy Lowry for his diligence and persistence in bringing the case to a successful conclusion.
Under Illinois law, theft over $10,000 is generally not a detainable offense under the SAFE-T Act unless specific statutory factors are present. Prosecutors argued those factors applied in Kuzgov’s case.
Law enforcement continues to encourage residents, particularly seniors, to remain alert for similar scams and to report suspicious activity immediately.