India-Canada row | Blinken says U.S. 'wants to see accountability' on Nijjar slaying

Dhruv Jani, a 40-year-old Indian national, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on September 22, 2023, for conspiring to commit money laundering in the United States. Jani was also ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution to the victims of the scheme. Jani was arrested in January 2021, along with several other co-defendants, after a two-year investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). According to the indictment, Jani and his co-defendants were part of a conspiracy to launder money obtained through a government official imposter scheme. The scheme worked as follows: The co-defendants would contact victims over the phone and pose as government officials, such as IRS agents or Social Security representatives. The co-defendants would then tell the victims that they owed money to the government and that they would be arrested if they did not pay immediately. The victims would then be instructed to send money to the co-defendants using a variety of methods, including wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency. The co-defendants would then launder the money by transferring it through multiple accounts and businesses. Jani played a key role in the conspiracy by setting up bank accounts and businesses that were used to launder the money. He also helped to recruit other co-defendants into the scheme. Jani pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering in June 2023. He was sentenced by Judge William Martinez of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. "Jani and his co-defendants preyed on innocent people and stole their hard-earned money," said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan in a statement. "This sentence sends a strong message that we will not tolerate money laundering and other financial crimes." The case against Jani is part of a larger effort by the US Department of Justice to crack down on money laundering and other financial crimes. In recent years, the DOJ has prosecuted a number of high-profile money laundering cases, including the cases of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui. The DOJ's efforts to crack down on money laundering are important for a number of reasons. Money laundering is a serious crime that can have a significant impact on the US economy and financial system. Money laundering can also be used to finance other criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and terrorism. By prosecuting money laundering cases, the DOJ can help to deter criminals from engaging in this type of activity and protect the US financial system.