On February 14, 2018, in the Northern District of Georgia, Dipakkumar Sankalchand Patel was sentenced for conspiracy to commit money laundering and false use of a passport.1 Patel was charged with the offenses in two separate cases filed in May 2017,2 and August 2017,3 and pleaded guilty to both charges on August 17, 2017.4
According to the court documents, Patel, a native and citizen of India,5 was admitted to the United States in Atlanta, Georgia, on or about March 26, 2012, by presenting a Portuguese Republic passport that was false, forged, and counterfeited as his own identification.6 Subsequently, from about September 2014 through about June 2015, Patel knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to conduct financial transactions in a scheme that involved the impersonation of U.S. Government officials, including the impersonation of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials.7
As part of the complex scheme, individuals from call centers located in Ahmedabad, India, impersonated U.S. Government tax and immigration officials and contacted potential victims to defraud them out of money by threatening them with arrest, imprisonment, fines, or deportation if they did not pay alleged taxes or penalties to the Government.8
In order to liquidate the illegal proceeds, U.S.-based individuals, known as "runners," were employed by the India-based call center conspirators. Patel was part of a crew of runners responsible for the liquidation of victims' scammed funds. Patel communicated with coconspirators via the WhatsApp messaging service to receive his instructions. He purchased general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards that were then registered using the misappropriated Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of unsuspecting victims and were later used to retrieve victims' funds. Patel used the GPR cards containing victims' funds to purchase money orders and then deposit those money orders into bank accounts as directed by his coconspirators. Runners also received victims' funds via MoneyGram and Western Union wire transfers using fictitious identities, and iTunes or other gift cards purchased by victims.9
One victim, a resident of Naperville, Illinois, was extorted out of more than $37,000 by individuals purporting to be employees of the U.S. Treasury and the IRS demanding payment for alleged tax violations. The victim was instructed to purchase about 72 prepaid cards with a total stored value of more than $37,000.10
Patel was sentenced to a total term of 51 months' imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release if not deported.11 However, an order of removal was filed ordering Patel be promptly removed from the United States to India at the conclusion of his term of imprisonment.12 Patel was further ordered to forfeit $24,000.13
1 N.D. Ga. Judgment filed Feb. 16, 2018.
2 N.D. Ga. Indict. 1:17-cr-00158-ELR-JSA filed May 3, 2017.
3 N.D. Ga. Crim. Information 1:17-cr-00277-ELR filed Aug. 17, 2017.
4 N.D. Ga. Plea Agr. filed Aug. 17, 2017.
5 N.D. Ga. Order of Removal filed Feb. 14, 2018.
6 N.D. Ga. Indict. 1:17-cr-00158-ELR-JSA filed May 3, 2017.
7 N.D. Ga. Crim. Information 1:17-cr-00277-ELR filed Aug. 17, 2017.
8 Id.
9 Id.
10 Id.
11 N.D. Ga. Judgment filed Feb. 16, 2018.
12 N.D. Ga. Order of Removal filed Feb. 14, 2018.
13 N.D. Ga. Order and Judgement of Forfeiture filed Feb. 14, 2018.