Indian-American sentenced to 40 months in prison for wire fraud, identity theft

Washington, August 24

A US court has sentenced an Indian-American to 40 months in prison for wire fraud and identity theft in connection with a fraudulent investment scheme worth approximately USD 1.26 million, federal prosecutors said.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Manish Singh, 48, entered into an agreement in 2016 with a married couple to create a business that would design and sell high-end fabrics.

The couple was to provide the capital for the business, and Singh was to contribute his expertise and contacts in the fabric industry.

Singh represented to the victim investors that their money was being used for numerous expenses related to the business, such as the manufacture of fabric in India.

“In reality, Singh was using the victims’ money almost entirely for personal expenses, mostly to view live pornography online. Based on Singh’s misrepresentations, the victims gave him approximately USD 1.26 million for the fraudulent joint business venture,” said the Department of Justice. PTI