NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
NEWARK, N.J., April 28, 2026: An Indian national has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for leading a years-long conspiracy that defrauded cellular providers and insurance companies out of millions of dollars, federal authorities announced.
Dhananjay Singh, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transfer of stolen property, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said that from June 2013 through June 2019, Singh and his co-conspirators carried out a widespread scheme using stolen and fake identities to submit fraudulent claims for lost, stolen, or damaged cellphones and other devices. The group obtained replacement devices through these false claims and then resold them overseas.
Court documents stated that the operation relied on a network of mailboxes and storage units across the United States, including locations in New Jersey, where the replacement devices were shipped and stored before being exported and sold to third parties outside the country.
Authorities said the scheme caused millions of dollars in losses to cellphone providers and insurance companies.
In addition to the prison term, Singh was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited multiple agencies for their roles in the investigation, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Diplomatic Security Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit.
