Kanwar Sarabjit Singh, Immigration Fraud, Virginia 2023

Kanwar Sarabjit Singh, Immigration Fraud, Virginia 2023

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kanwar Sarabjit Singh, 51, a citizen of India and lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today to operating a fraud scheme in which he used Facebook and WhatsApp to scam people seeking to purchase United States visas.

According to court documents, Singh falsely represented himself as an employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who worked in the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and who could obtain genuine United States visas in exchange for a fee of $3,000 to $4,000.

Singh instructed individuals seeking immigration documents to email him passport photographs, copies of their passports and other personally identifying information and to send him money via overnight delivery service or by wire transfer. After receiving these documents and the requested fee up front, Singh created and emailed fake letters purporting to be from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, which falsely represented that there was an appointment to pick up the requested visa documents.

Many of Singh’s victims resided overseas and were impoverished. In addition to this visa fraud scheme, Singh also admitted to engaging in an investment fraud scheme in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 2012, in which he defrauded approximately 22 investors of approximately $340,000.

Singh pleaded guilty to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal officer and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 14. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of this fraud scheme, please contact the FBI’s Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen. The Department of Homeland Security provided assistance with this investigation.

Mandatory Facts

Defendant: Kanwar Sarabjit Singh

Criminal Charges: Wire fraud and impersonation of a federal officer

City and State: Alexandria, Virginia

Date: December 14, 2023

Sentence: Faces up to 20 years in prison

Dollar Amounts: $3,000 to $4,000 and approximately $340,000

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/indian-national-pleads-guilty-immigration-fraud-scheme