A Newark resident admitted to defrauding several telecommunications and insurance companies of over $9 million in fraudulently obtained goods, U.S. District Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Wednesday.
Sandeep. Bengera, 36, an Indian national, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and another count of conspiracy to commit interstate transfer of stolen property.
For six years, between June 2013 and June 2019, Bengara was involved in a widespread scheme to use stolen and fake identifications to submit false insurance claims for lost, stolen and damaged cell phones in order to obtain replacement devices and then sell them in other countries, documents show. Bengara and his co-conspirators also filed false claims for other electronic devices besides cell phones.
Bengara and others were accused of maintaining a network of mailboxes and storage units throughout the United States and in New Jersey to store and ship the devices for sale in other countries.
Bengara admitted to authorities that the total value of the replacement devices exceeded $9 million, prosecutors said.
An attorney for Bengara did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2024.
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Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X
