FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2007

State Attorney Steve Meadows announces the arrest of Ketan Ashvin Patel on two counts of Grand Theft, more than $100,000.00.

Patel, 37, of Country Club Drive in Lynn Haven, is accused of defrauding local doctors of large sums of money in connection with land transactions in Washington County. The complaints allege that Patel, who is also a physician, took the money from the victims and diverted it to personal expenses instead of the promised land transactions. The victims have no recovered any of the money as of this date.

The complaints allege that the money was "obtained by fraud, misrepresentation of a future act, false promise or pretenses, or deception."

The arrest was the result of an investigation by State Attorney’s Office investigators.

Patel was booked into the Bay County jail and should appear before a judge for a first appearance on Wednesday.