An Indian national was sentenced on April 21 to 41 months in prison for leading a scheme that defrauded telephone providers and insurance companies of millions of dollars by using stolen or fake identities, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.
Dhananjay Singh, age 35, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transfer of stolen property. Prosecutors said Singh and his co-conspirators used the U.S. mail system from June 2013 through June 2019 to submit false claims for lost, stolen, or damaged cellular devices using fraudulent identities. The replacement devices were shipped across the United States—including New Jersey—to various mailboxes and storage units controlled by the group before being resold outside the country.
The scheme caused millions in losses for phone companies and insurers. In addition to his prison sentence, Singh received three years of supervised release and was ordered by Judge Arleo to pay over $10 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents from several agencies with investigating the case: "Special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation... postal inspectors... special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark... officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection... and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service." Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro represented the government.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey prosecutes federal crimes and represents the United States in civil matters across New Jersey according to its official website. The office coordinates with federal agencies on cases such as terrorism or public corruption while maintaining offices in Newark, Trenton, and Camden according to its official website. It staffs about 170 attorneys and support personnel statewide according to its official website.
The office also advances community safety through law enforcement coordination and crime prevention programs according to its official website, has alumni who include federal judges and senators according to its official website, is part of the Department of Justice according to its official website, traces its history back to 1789 according to its official website, handles both criminal prosecutions as well as civil cases statewide according to its official website.
