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Canadian Man Charged With Telemarketing Fraud and Witness Tampering,
Reports U.S. Attorney
BOSTON, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Two indictments were unsealed
yesterday in federal court, charging a Montreal man in connection
with his role in an extensive fraudulent telemarketing scheme and
witness tampering.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Robin Avers, Special
Agent in Charge of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement
in New England, announced that David Chityal,
age 27, of Montreal, Canada, was charged in two separate indictments
with wire fraud, money laundering, and witness tampering. Chityal
was arrested yesterday in Canada by members of the Canadian Royal
Mounted Police and is being held in custody there pending a bail
hearing. Chityal will undergo extradition proceedings before he
appears in the United States on the charges.
The telemarketing indictment alleges that during the period of
at least September, 2002 through October, 2003, Chityal, a citizen
and resident of Canada, telephoned victims in the United States,
including in Massachusetts, and falsely identified himself as a
bank security officer or other member of law enforcement holding
a large sum of money for their collection in Canada. Chityal informed
his victims that, in order to collect the large sum of money, they
first needed to prepay taxes or fees.
In fact, the victims were not entitled to collect any sums of
money and the "taxes" or "fees" that they forwarded
to Canada, at Chityal's direction, were used for the personal benefit
of Chityal and others working with him, for purposes never disclosed
to his victims.
In addition to his phoney telephone calls to victims in the United
States, it is alleged that Chityal also caused his victims to receive
fraudulent documents, purportedly authored by various bank officials,
that appeared to substantiate his representations. It is alleged
that in fact, the documents were phony and were designed to lull
Chityal's victims into the belief that his representations were
legitimate and they should wire additional funds to Canada at his
direction.
In a separate indictment, unsealed yesterday, Chityal was also
charged with witness tampering in connection with his efforts to
arrange for the murder of a witness to the investigation of Chityal's
telemarketing scheme, in order to prevent that individual's testimony
before the grand jury.
If convicted on the wire fraud charges, Chityal faces up to 20
years' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release,
and a $250,000 fine. If convicted on the witness tampering charges,
Chityal faces up to 10 years' imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Lori J. Holik in Sullivan's Economic Crimes Unit.
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