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Convicted Thief Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison
Baltimore, Maryland – In a federal courtroom, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake handed down a 66-month prison sentence to Saurabh Chawla, a 36-year-old resident of Aurora, Colorado, for his role in a $3.5 million scheme to sell stolen goods and for tax evasion.
Chawla, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and tax evasion, was ordered to pay $713,619 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and to forfeit a 2013 Tesla Model S and $2,308,062.61 from accounts held in his name and the sale of property in Aurora, Colorado.
According to court documents, Chawla purchased over $3.5 million of stolen goods from individuals with ‘insider’ access to the goods and merchandise between 2009 and 2019. He initially sold the goods on eBay through the stores thecheetahexpress, eurotronics_4_less, and eurotronics-4-less, which were associated with his relatives.
“Saurabh Chawla coordinated a $3.5 million scheme – purchasing items from co-conspirators that he knew had been stolen, including electronics that were intended to help underprivileged New Mexico school children, and selling them for his personal gain,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.
“To add insult to injury, Chawla underreported his income on his tax returns and aided the tax evasion of a relative, causing a tax loss totaling more than $700,000 to the U.S. government. These are not victimless crimes. This criminal behavior cheats all the honest businesses and taxpayers who play by the rules. Hopefully, this sentence sends the message that we will continue to coordinate with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice,” Lenzner added.
Chawla’s scheme was uncovered after eBay suspended his stores due to ‘serious security concerns’ in 2014. He later convinced a friend, James Bender, to allow him to sell goods and merchandise online through eBay accounts Bender controlled in exchange for a commission.
“When criminals like Chawla traffic stolen goods and willfully underreport their income to evade taxes, we all lose,” said Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Washington D.C. Field Office. “Taxes pay for services, and criminal schemes like this one undermine the integrity of our nation’s tax system. We will continue to collaborate with our investigative partners to stop these divisive schemes and fulfill our mission to ensure the integrity and fairness of our tax system.”
The case was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and was investigated by the IRS-CI and HSI.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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