Close X
Sunday, November 24, 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

Indians Largest Group Of Foreign Skilled Workers In UK

Indians Largest Group Of Foreign Skilled Workers In UK
Indians were the largest group of skilled workers granted visas to live and work in the UK last year at 57 per cent, according to official figures released here today.

Indians Largest Group Of Foreign Skilled Workers In UK

European Union Willing To Accommodate More Indian IT Professionals

European Union Willing To Accommodate More Indian IT Professionals
The European Union on Wednesday indicated that it would be willing to accommodate more Indian IT professionals amid concerns over the Trump administration tightening H1B visa norms.

European Union Willing To Accommodate More Indian IT Professionals

US Won't Compromise On EU Support To Please Russia: Nikki Haley

US Won't Compromise On EU Support To Please Russia: Nikki Haley
US ambassador to UN Nikki Haley has said the US will not compromise on its support for the European Union and NATO in its quest to improve relations with Russia.

US Won't Compromise On EU Support To Please Russia: Nikki Haley

Indian-Origin MP Seema Malhotra Among Anti-Trump Voices In UK Parliament

Indian-Origin MP Seema Malhotra Among Anti-Trump Voices In UK Parliament
Indian-origin Labour MP Seema Malhotra was among a number of British MPs who spoke out against US President Donald Trump's proposed state visit to the UK in Parliament.

Indian-Origin MP Seema Malhotra Among Anti-Trump Voices In UK Parliament

Trump's Immigration Plans Could Impact 3 Lakh Indian-Americans

Trump's Immigration Plans Could Impact 3 Lakh Indian-Americans
Nearly 300,000 Indian-Americans are likely to be impacted by the Trump administration's sweeping plans that put the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation.

Trump's Immigration Plans Could Impact 3 Lakh Indian-Americans

Official: Trump To Revoke Transgender Bathroom Guidance

Official: Trump To Revoke Transgender Bathroom Guidance
WASHINGTON — A government official says the Trump administration will revoke guidelines that say transgender students should be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity.

Official: Trump To Revoke Transgender Bathroom Guidance