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Doyal Kalita, 37, Sentenced to 10 Years for Computer Fraud and Online Drug Distribution Schemes
BOSTON – In a major blow to international cybercrime, Doyal Kalita, 37, of Redford, Mich., has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a sophisticated computer fraud scheme and online drug distribution ring. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton handed down the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release, and ordered Kalita to pay $272,293 in restitution to victims and forfeit $2,542,784.
Kalita pleaded guilty in February 2024 to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to import Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. The case marks a significant victory for law enforcement agencies, who have been working tirelessly to dismantle the complex network of international cybercrime and online drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Kalita and his co-conspirators organized a scheme in 2015 to defraud internet users through the use of deceptive pop-up screens that falsely told victims their computers were infected with viruses. The victims were directed to call for technical support, which led them to Kalita’s call centers in India and Michigan, where they were sold products and services they didn’t need.
Concurrently, Kalita and his co-conspirators operated an online drug distribution scheme that sold prescription drugs, including opioids and other controlled substances, to individuals in Massachusetts and across the United States. The scheme involved multiple foreign drug suppliers, with Kalita and his co-conspirators receiving controlled substances from abroad and repackaging them for distribution in the U.S.
To conceal their activities, Kalita and his co-conspirators used PayPal and merchant accounts that purported to belong to non-existent consulting companies, health supplement stores, auto parts suppliers, and travel agencies. In some cases, they created fake travel itineraries and receipts to deceive credit card processors in the United States.
Two of Kalita’s alleged co-conspirators remain fugitives. In January 2023, Manish Kumar, a partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug company and one of Kalita’s suppliers, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, three months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000. In June 2023, Robert Polanco, one of Kalita’s co-conspirators in the money laundering scheme, was sentenced to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $216,900 in restitution to fraud victims.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office, and the United States Food & Drug Administration made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, United States Customs & Border Protection, United States Marshals Service in Boston, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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