On November 30, 2020, in the Eastern District of New York, Ajay Sharma, owner and director of an India-based telemarketing call center, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme directed at thousands of United States citizens.

According to the court documents, from approximately January 2018 through September 2018, Sharma organized and led a telemarketing scheme through his telemarketing company, APS Technology. Operating from India, Sharma's company targeted victims in the United States and falsely claimed to represent the Internal Revenue Service, among other Federal agencies. The victims were informed that they owed a sum of money to the United States Government and that they would be arrested if the debts were not promptly paid. After the victims wired payments to bank accounts opened for the purposes of the scheme, the funds were withdrawn and laundered through additional bank accounts. The scheme is estimated to have netted more than $2 million from victims across the United States.

At sentencing, Sharma could receive up to 20 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $2.5 million, and forfeiture of $1 million.

Source:  The facts in this case narrative come from the following publicly available document: E.D.N.Y. Indict, January 17, 2019, E.D.N.Y. Change of Plea, November 30, 2020, and E.D.N.Y. press release, November 30, 2020.