Federal prosecutors have charged two men with fraud and accused them of stealing people’s identities to pilfer money from FanDuel and other online gambling sites.
According to a federal indictment in Connecticut, Amitoj Kapoor and Siddharth Lillaney, both from Glastonbury, are named as the defendants.
Prosecutors allege that the actions took place between 2021 and early 2026, and that the two conspired to commit wire fraud, identity fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
The conspiracy involved obtaining personal identifying information of real people, including names, addresses, dates of birth, and full or partial Social Security numbers.
The Department of Justice alleges that there are at least 3,000 identity theft victims.
The defendants obtained the information from the dark web and online background search websites, and then used the information to open accounts with FanDuel and other regulated gambling operators, as well as related payment systems.
Once accounts were created, prosecutors say the defendants focused on introductory bonuses and promotional credits offered to new users.
Those credits could not be withdrawn directly, but winnings generated from bets placed with them could be converted into cash.
According to the indictment, that dynamic provided the impetus for repeated betting activity designed to unlock withdrawals while appearing routine. As much as $3m may have been wagered through the scheme.
The funds were then moved through a network of fintech services and virtual stored-value cards.
Prosecutors allege the defendants opened and controlled accounts both in their own names and in the names of identity theft victims.
An intricate web of deceit
The pair routed the money through multiple platforms to obscure its origin and ownership before transferring it into traditional bank and investment accounts.
Investigators point to extensive text message exchanges between the defendants as evidence of coordination.
The messages allegedly reference purchasing stolen Social Security numbers, managing account volume, navigating geographic restrictions, and minimising detection risk.
Prosecutors also allege that spreadsheets were used to catalogue stolen personal data and track account activity across platforms.
The indictment cites detailed examples of individual victims and explains how certain identities were used to create gambling and payment accounts, place wagers, and transfer funds.
In some cases, the amounts involved for the defendants and alleged to have been gained per individual victim ranged into the thousands of dollars.
The funds were transferred in quick succession via multiple services before eventually being deposited into accounts controlled by the defendants.
Government prosecutors framed the gambling businesses and financial institutions involved as victims of false representation, rather than co-conspirators in the alleged criminal acts.
Aside from prison sentences, prosecutors are asking for the forfeiture of all proceeds derived from the alleged criminal acts.
Life behind bars
Based on the alleged crimes in the federal indictment, the defendants could face lengthy prison terms if they are found guilty of all counts against them.
For the charge of conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum of five years in federal prison and fines. Wire fraud charges typically carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years per count.
Given the 23 counts of wire fraud in the indictment, the total possible sentence could be substantial.
The charges of identity fraud could further mean carry up to 15 years in prison, while aggravated identity theft is subject to mandatory sentencing guidelines that cannot be avoided.
The most severe penalties will be meted out if the defendants are found guilty of these counts.
Each count of aggravated identity theft requires a two-year sentence to be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed by the court. These terms cannot be reduced or served concurrently with the underlying fraud offences.
Money laundering conspiracy carries a fine of up to 20 years in prison, as does each count of money laundering. The latter could also include substantial fines for each count.
Since the maximum sentence could exceed a lifetime, federal courts typically don’t seek the maximum possible sentence in cases such as this.
Instead, they use US Sentencing Guidelines to determine an adequate sentence based on the totality of the circumstances.