Indian running online dating scam gets 42 months’ jail in US
April 8th, 2011 - 9:50 am ICT by IANSWashington, April 8 (IANS) An Indian accused of meeting women on dating websites, pretending to be a high-powered financier and then seducing them, has been sentenced to a maximum of 42 months in federal prison by a US court.
Once he gained their trust, Jaitass Dhanoa, 23, also known as Jay D. Singh would steal their credit cards and their identities, prosecutors told a Philadelphia judge who sentenced him Thursday.
Dhanoa has admitted he trolled internet dating sites looking for victims, especially women of Indian descent. US authorities say they know of four local victims, although there’s evidence he was dating upwards of 11 American women at the same time.
Dhanoa has never apologised directly to his victims. Back in January, he pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated identity theft, three counts of unauthorised use of an access device, eight counts of bank fraud, and one count of false representation of US citizenship.
On Thursday he told the judge he was sorry and has gotten religion since he was caught a year ago. But the judge gave him the maximum, three and a half years. In addition to the prison term, Dhanoa was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and a $1,500 special assessment.
A victim, as cited by ABC news told the judge: “Everything came crashing down,” “It was just…. Everything that I saw that I thought was real, that I understood, was fake. And everything I saw in my future was shattered. And it really hurt me,” she said.
“He created a relationship where I kept falling more and more in love with him. These lies were part of his monstrous plan to steal my identity for his own financial gain,” she told the judge.
She thought they would eventually marry. After she introduced Dhanoa to her parents he gave her a heart-shaped diamond necklace.
“I was head-over-heels at this romantic gesture. This necklace represented the love of the man I was going to marry. Later I discovered the necklace was fraudulently bought on my credit card,” said the woman in court.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
- Celebrity beauty salon owner pleads guilty to cheating - Jan 23, 2011
- LiLo facing 3 years in state prison over 'necklace theft' - Feb 06, 2011
- Two Florida men plead guilty to bank fraud and credit card conspiracy - Mar 23, 2010
- No jail for Lohan for now - Mar 11, 2011
- British soldier jailed for rape - Mar 10, 2012
- Lindsay Lohan is a good person: Hilton - Mar 13, 2011
- Dina Lohan admits jail is a real possibility for LiLo - Feb 19, 2011
- LiLo values being alone - May 21, 2011
- Lindsay Lohan released from jail - Nov 07, 2011
- Lohan to teach acting at homeless shelter - Apr 29, 2011
- Gold burglar targeting South Asians gets 46 months - Jan 29, 2011
- Lohan seeking reduced jail term - Mar 05, 2011
- Chez Gabriela Studio Owner Accused Of Cheating High Profiled Clients - Aug 20, 2010
- A West Haven, CT woman pleads guilty to fraud - Feb 10, 2010
- New York man admits stealing gold from South Asian homes - Sep 22, 2010
Tags: abc news, american women, bank fraud, credit cards, dating sites, dhanoa, false representation, federal prison, financial gain, financier, half years, head over heels, heart shaped diamond, heart shaped diamond necklace, identity theft, indian descent, meeting women, prosecutors, romantic gesture, special assessment