A former Sri Lankan ambassador living in Virginia pleaded guilty for diverting and attempting to embezzle funds from the Sri Lankan government.
Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya, 61, of Arlington, reportedly attempted to misappropriate $332,027 during the Sri Lankan government's purchase of a new embassy building in Washington, D.C. in 2013, according to an April 1 Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release. Wickramasuriya served as an ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico from 2008 to 2014 for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
"Mr. Wickramasuriya attempted to use his position of authority to defraud his own government and steal from the people he represented," said Ray Villanueva, special agent in charge. "He did not expect the American authorities to get involved and call on HSI Washington, D.C. to investigate. Today he begins the process of paying for his crimes."
Wickramasuriya reportedly inflated the price of the 2013 real estate transaction and diverted the extra funds, according to the news release. He was indicted on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and making a fale statement on an immigration application. The news release reported the charge of conspiracy carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison as well as potential financial penalties.
