Indian National Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Based in Wray, Colorado
Apr 21, 2023
From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado:
Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dhruv Jani, age 40, formerly of Wray, Colorado, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit money laundering.
According to the plea agreement, starting in January 2020, Jani was part of a conspiracy to launder funds obtained from a government official imposter scheme. Victims in the United States were contacted by telephone and coerced into believing they were under investigation by “Agents” of federal law enforcement agencies (the FBI, SSA, DHS, Treasury, or U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration). Victims were told that their identities had been connected to a criminal incident, that their imminent arrest and/or deportation from the United States had been ordered by law enforcement, and that the only way to avoid arrest and or deportation was to pay the “Government” large sums of money. In a typical scenario, the “Agent” instructed the victim to remain on the phone for the duration of the call while the victim traveled to their bank to withdraw cash. The “Agent” then convinced the victim to package and ship the cash to alleged government officials via Federal Express or United Parcel Service.
The government contends that fifty-seven victims mailed, or attempted to mail, approximately $1.6 million to Jani and his conspirators in Colorado. Many of these same victims were also directed to mail packages of cash and gift cards to individuals in other states. All told, the government contends that the victims who sent money and gift cards to Colorado and to other states are out approximately $7.2 million from the government imposter scheme.
United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore is scheduled to sentence Jani on October 6, 2023.
This investigation is being conducted jointly with investigators from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security-OIG, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Sterling, Colorado Police Department. The District Attorney for the 13th Judicial District has also provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha A. Paluch and Laura B. Hurd.
Read more from the SSA: Read More
