IBNS-CMEDIA: A 22-year-old Indian national has been sentenced to 48 months in prison in the United States for conspiring to commit money laundering as part of a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, US officials said.
According to a statement issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the convicted individual has been identified as Roshan Shah.
Court records show that Shah, an Indian citizen, was attending college in Canada on a student visa. He entered the United States on a visitor visa to collect proceeds from the fraud.
According to prosecutors, Shah’s co-conspirators in India contacted victims by phone and falsely claimed that their identities had been used in criminal activities.
“The victims were led to believe they had to surrender cash or gold to a federal agent, impersonated by Shah, for safekeeping,” the statement said.
In total, Shah collected more than $3.7 million from 15 victims across the United States, according to the statement.
He was arrested while attempting to collect what he believed to be additional fraudulent proceeds in New Berlin, Wisconsin, using the same scam.
During sentencing, Judge Ludwig underscored the seriousness of Shah’s crimes and the devastating impact they had on the victims, many of whom were elderly and vulnerable.
“This case highlights the danger faced by Americans from fraudsters both here and overseas,” said First Assistant Brad Schimel. “This conviction and sentence are the result of the intensive efforts of federal law enforcement working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat the scourge of fraud targeting our seniors. This case should serve as a reminder that we will continue to devote substantial resources to fighting fraud, holding scammers accountable, and protecting Americans from these schemes.”
“Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the American public from transnational fraud schemes that target our most vulnerable citizens,” said HSI Wisconsin Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Rice. “This case demonstrates the impact of coordinated law enforcement efforts to disrupt criminal networks that prey on victims across borders. We will continue to work with our partners to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who seek to exploit and defraud members of our communities.”
