Who is Angad Singh Chandhok? CBI extradites Indian national from US over multi-million dollar tech scam
He was convicted in the U.S. and sentenced to six years for laundering $1.5 million.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday extradited Angad Singh Chandhok, an Indian national, from the United States. Chandhok is accused of running a multi-million-dollar tech support scam that targeted elderly American citizens using a network of shell companies.
He was convicted by a US court for his involvement in the large-scale online fraud, ANI reported.
He and his associates posed as tech support providers, deceiving victims into transferring substantial sums of money. According to a March 2022 press statement from the US Department of Justice, he was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the scheme.
Authorities revealed that the fraudulently obtained funds were funnelled through several shell companies set up by Chandhok, with the money eventually moved to India and other countries.
According to the United States' attorney office, District of Rhode Island, while living in California, Angad Singh Chandhok, 34, operated a long-running and complex money laundering network, in which he created and used shell companies to move millions of dollars stolen from Americans through an online tech support scheme, and later an online travel fee scheme, ANI reported.
Chandhok, who directed a team of at least five individuals, maintained direct contact with high-level international operatives involved in the fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Indian students in the U.S., including four based in Newport, Rhode Island, received funds from victims of the tech support scam. These funds were then transferred to accounts controlled by Chandhok, who played a key role in laundering the money. His money laundering operation served as a crucial link between the US-based perpetrators and their international counterparts.
Chandhok's criminal activity lasted two years, during which time he “cleaned” at least $1.5 million. The government's evidence showed that in just one month, he laundered nearly $930,000.
Chandhok pleaded guilty on August 19, 2019, to conspiracy to launder criminal proceeds. On Thursday, US District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. sentenced him to 72 months of incarceration, followed by 3 years of federal supervised release.
The statement said Chandhok is wanted in his native country of India for fraud and was an international fugitive from justice when he engaged in his sophisticated money laundering activities here in the United States, ANI reported.
The CBI had been pursuing his extradition for an extended period through a prolonged legal process. With his return to India now secured, Chandhok is expected to be produced before a competent court, where the CBI will seek his custodial remand for further investigation.
(With inputs from ANI)
- Chandhok's operation illustrates the global reach and complexity of online fraud schemes.
- The use of shell companies is a common tactic in money laundering and fraud.
- International cooperation between law enforcement agencies is crucial for extraditing fugitives involved in large-scale fraud.
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