New Delhi (Agency): Abhijit Das, a 50-year-old attorney of Indian origin and erstwhile US House of Representatives candidate, has been apprehended in the United States over allegations of fraudulent activities exceeding $5 million against an Indian firm. The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that Das, also known by his nickname “Beej”, diverted client funds for his personal use, including expenditures on a yacht linked to one of his hotels and $2.7 million for his residence in Florida.
Following an indictment by a federal grand jury in Boston on June 20, Das was arrested on ten counts of wire fraud. The charges accuse Das of siphoning off funds from his clients’ accounts, rerouting them into other accounts for personal use. The North Andover resident had previously been arrested in June 2021 for alleged violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act and making false statements.
Das, who also serves as the principal manager of a boutique law and advisory firm, began offering legal and escrow services around May 2020 to a logistics supply firm in India. The company, run by twin brothers, coordinated substantial shipments of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. It is claimed that Das diverted over $5 million in escrow funds from his clients’ accounts to others, exploiting them for personal costs, including his law firm expenses, a yacht linked to his hotel, and his Boca Raton home in Florida.
The DOJ’s statement alleges that Das manipulated his clients into transferring funds to accounts under his control. Using a series of intricate, multi-layered transactions disguised as legal advice regarding potential litigation risks, Das allegedly provided clients with falsified and forged account statements to obscure his fraudulent activities.
Interestingly, nine out of the ten wire fraud counts were allegedly committed by Das while under court-ordered pre-trial release conditions resulting from his June 2021 indictment. The earlier charges had accused him of campaign finance violations, embezzling campaign funds, and making substantially false declarations tUSAo the Federal Election Commission.
Each wire fraud charge carries the potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is higher.