Daijiworld Media Network - Connecticut
Connecticut, Feb 8: Two Indian American men from Glastonbury, Connecticut, are facing serious federal charges after authorities accused them of orchestrating a large-scale fraud scheme targeting FanDuel and other online gambling platforms, allegedly netting nearly $3 million.
A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a sweeping 45-count indictment on February 3 against Amitoj Kapoor, 29, and Siddharth Lillaney, 29. The charges include wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut confirmed on February 7.
The announcement was made jointly by David X. Sullivan, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Demeo, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, and Bryan T. Cafferelli, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
Both Kapoor and Lillaney were arrested on February 5 and later appeared before US Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven. They were released after posting bonds of $300,000 each.
According to prosecutors, the two men carried out a years-long scheme to defraud online betting companies—primarily FanDuel—by creating gambling accounts using stolen personal information belonging to thousands of victims across Connecticut and other states. These accounts were allegedly used to take advantage of promotional offers designed for first-time users, such as sign-up bonuses, betting credits, and free wagers.
Court records state that Kapoor and Lillaney obtained stolen personal data from darknet marketplaces and via encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram. Investigators further allege that the defendants subscribed to background-check services to gather additional details on victims, enabling them to bypass identity-verification safeguards during account registration.
Prosecutors claim that when bonus-funded bets resulted in winnings, the money was transferred to virtual prepaid cards backed by FDIC-insured financial institutions. From there, the funds were funneled into bank and investment accounts under the defendants’ control.
Federal authorities estimate that since 2021, the pair used the identities of roughly 3,000 victims to open fraudulent accounts across multiple gambling platforms, generating approximately $3 million in illicit gains.
“As alleged, these defendants exploited thousands of stolen identities to manipulate online gambling promotions and wager with money that wasn’t theirs,” Sullivan said. “That run of success has come to an end.”
Demeo emphasized that identity theft operations of this magnitude would be aggressively pursued, noting that IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to uncovering complex financial trails and dismantling money-laundering networks.
Cafferelli said the probe initially began as a gaming-related investigation but quickly expanded as the scale of the alleged fraud and identity theft became clear. He encouraged anyone who believes their identity may have been compromised to report it through IdentityTheft.gov.
The indictment includes one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity fraud, 23 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of identity fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and 10 counts of money laundering. Several charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 20 years, while aggravated identity theft convictions mandate an additional consecutive two-year term.
Federal prosecutors stressed that the charges are allegations, and Kapoor and Lillaney are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.