Indian American pleads guilty to immigration fraud scheme

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Indian American Kanwar Sarabjit Singh has pleaded guilty to operating a fraud scheme to scam people seeking to purchase a visa to the United States, according to a Department of Justice press release.

According to court documents, Singh used Facebook and WhatsApp to ask people for a fee of $3000 to $4000 in exchange for a U.S. visa and falsely represented himself as an employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who worked in the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

As part of the scheme, Singh also created a fake photo identification document claiming to be from the DHS, as verification for the individuals seeking immigration documents and told them to email him passport photographs, copies of their passports and other personally identifying information, court documents say.

He then told them to send him money overnight by a delivery service or wire transfer.

After receiving everything, Singh created and emailed fake letters claiming to be from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, informing the individuals to schedule an appointment to pick up the falsely requested visa documents.

Singh also admitted to engaging in an investment fraud scheme in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 2012, in which he defrauded about 22 investors of approximately $340,000.

Singh pleaded guilty to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal officer, he will now face a maximum of 20 years in prison and will be sentenced on December 14.