Plainfield Man sentenced to over 3 years in Federal Prison for $1.5 Million Identity Theft scheme
41 year-old Vimalkumar Trivedi, of Plainfield, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to the possession of false identity documents and operating an unlicensed money transfer business.
According to court documents, from April 2017 through April 1, 2021, Trivedi defrauded multiple victims, including some elderly individuals, into sending cash to various locations, including Indianapolis via FedEx. Trivedi and his co-conspirators in the U.S. and India masqueraded as federal law enforcement agents and told the victims that their Social Security numbers had been found in connection with criminal activity, often narcotics trafficking. The criminals stated that the victims would be arrested if they did not immediately withdraw large sums of cash and mail it to fictitious individuals.
Trivedi tracked the packages of money sent by fraud victims to the fictitious recipients and picked them up at multiple FedEx locations. In each instance, Trivedi used a false identification document in the name of the listed package recipient. In total, Trivedi possessed at least 53 false identification documents, each with his picture but containing different identifying information. He used these false identification documents to pick up at least 122 packages containing $901,124 in cash proceeds of the fraud. Trivedi kept $60,000 stolen from victims for his own use and forwarded the remainder to his associates.
Through the investigation, law enforcement agents have identified and confirmed approximately 17 victims, identified approximately 50 other suspected victims, and identified approximately $1.5 million in losses to the victims.
Share the magic of your community during the 2024 solar eclipse
Communities across southern Indiana will align directly with the path of totality during the 2024 solar eclipse. This provides a unique opportunity for Hoosiers and tourists alike to explore the cultural dimensions and creative inspiration of a solar event that will remain in our memories for a lifetime.
A new initiative, supported by the Simons Foundation, Regional Opportunity Initiatives, and the Center for Rural Engagement, will support rural communities located in the path of totality with staffing, resources, and outreach for arts and culture-focused community activities. Organizations in communities with populations less than 50,000 can also apply for microgrants up to $2,000 to support the implementation of eclipse activities. Grant applications will be accepted between August 1 and September 1, 2023.
Learn more and apply for this grant.
Indiana Attorney General challenges California law impacting Hoosier farmers and food consumers
Attorney General Todd Rokita this week called on Congress to enact legislation preventing states such as California from dictating rules to farmers and ranchers in Indiana. In a letter sent Wednesday to congressional leaders, Attorney General Rokita and other attorneys general call for passage of the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act — H.R.4417 in the U.S. House and S.2019 in the U.S. Senate.
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California law that outlaws the sale of pork originating from sows housed in less than 24 square feet — even if such pork comes from out-of-state producers. Some small- and medium-sized pork producers could be forced to go out of business, as California buys about 13 percent of the nation’s pork.
Extending beyond the pork industry, the Supreme Court’s decision paves the way for California and other states to similarly impose their will pertaining to other types of livestock production — and even other types of industries altogether.
In the letter to congressional leaders, Attorney General Rokita and the other attorneys general noted that U.S. farmers already follow prudent techniques in raising livestock.
“American farmers and ranchers raise massive amounts of animal protein as affordably and humanely as possible,” the letter states. “American farmers’ techniques have developed over generations to constitute global best practices. No other country raises anywhere near as much delicious and high-quality pork.”
This Week in Hoosier History
1939-08-09 Billy Henderson, American pop and R&B singer was born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2007). He was best known for being an original member and founder of The Spinners, a soul vocal group. He and four friends at Ferndale High School in 1954 formed a group originally called The Domingos and later renamed The Spinners. They had several hits, especially in the 1970s, including “I’ll Be Around” (1972) and “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”, “Then Came You” (with Dionne Warwick), “The Rubberband Man” and “It’s a Shame”.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson