Close X
Monday, November 18, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian Immigrant Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison For $25 Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme In US

Darpan News Desk, 03 Mar, 2017 11:22 AM
  • Indian Immigrant Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison For $25 Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme In US
The FBI caught hint of the scam after the group used images of fake passports, including one that featured Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort's image from a television show.
 
An Indian-American man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for a multi-million dollar fraud scheme.
 
Amit Chaudhry, 44, from Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty on September 21 last year to identity theft, money laundering and visa fraud.
 
"I never really dreamt of being a felon. This is going to haunt me for the rest of my life," Chaudhry said in Alexandria federal court on Thursday before being sentenced, the Washington Post reported.
 
According to the report, Chaudhry, who emigrated from India in 1992, helped his relatives overseas to operate a multimillion-dollar scam that involved money laundering from stolen credit cards and identities through shell bank accounts.
 
He was also part of a related scheme, advertising cheap travel packages. Clients' money would be stolen and their hotel and airfare would be paid for with stolen credit cards.
 
They also made more than $25 million off fake credit cards with the help of a co-conspirator working at American Express in India, the Washington Post report said. 
 
 
The group also used images of fake passports.
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uncovered the scheme in part when an agent recognised a photo in one passport as actress Laura Vandervoot. The photo was taken from a scene of her television show "V" involving visas.
 
"What we're dealing with here is not a casual wrong turn," said Jeffrey Abish, the chief information officer for the defrauded company ActioNet. 
 
Chaudhry sent inflated and imagined IT invoices to the company, netting $4.1 million that he has now pledged to repay, according to the report.
 
Defence attorney Danny Onorato told The Post that "this was all done out of family loyalty".
 
Onorato added that Chaudhry has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, which might help explain his behaviour.
 
However, Assistant US Attorney Katherine Wong protested Onorato's argument, saying: "Asperger's doesn't cause anyone to steal or open credit card accounts in someone else's name."
 
Chaudhry is cooperating with authorities, who are still finding more victims and tracking down co-conspirators in the US and abroad. 

MORE International ARTICLES

After A Surreal Year, Donald Trump Wins The GoP Nomination On A Surreal Day

After A Surreal Year, Donald Trump Wins The GoP Nomination On A Surreal Day
  The billionaire businessman was officially nominated as the Republican party's candidate for president Tuesday in a surreal day befitting one of the most surreal campaigns in modern political history.

After A Surreal Year, Donald Trump Wins The GoP Nomination On A Surreal Day

Indian-Origin MP Alok Sharma Bags Junior Minister's Post In Theresa May's Cabinet

Indian-Origin MP Alok Sharma Bags Junior Minister's Post In Theresa May's Cabinet
Indian-origin MP Alok Sharma has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for Asia and the Pacific in Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet.

Indian-Origin MP Alok Sharma Bags Junior Minister's Post In Theresa May's Cabinet

Indian Techie's Wife Falls To Death With Baby From Melbourne High-Rise

Indian Techie's Wife Falls To Death With Baby From Melbourne High-Rise
Supraja Srinivas and her son Shrihan died on the spot. Their bodies were found in the atrium of the 29-storey City Point apartment building last Thursday.

Indian Techie's Wife Falls To Death With Baby From Melbourne High-Rise

Unable To Gain Permanent Residency In Australia, Indian Citizen Commits Suicide

Unable To Gain Permanent Residency In Australia, Indian Citizen Commits Suicide
In his mid-30s, Deepak Singh was found dead in his car on July 17, sbs.com.au reported.

Unable To Gain Permanent Residency In Australia, Indian Citizen Commits Suicide

Indian Students Make Country Proud At Global Aerospace Competition

Indian Students Make Country Proud At Global Aerospace Competition
73 teams across the world participated in the competition this year, held at Burkett, Texas, USA.

Indian Students Make Country Proud At Global Aerospace Competition

2 Rescued After Boat Grounds Near Brink Of Niagara Falls

Police using a boat reached the pair after the winds prevented a helicopter from getting to them.

2 Rescued After Boat Grounds Near Brink Of Niagara Falls