Redford man who orchestrated computer fraud, online drug distribution schemes sentenced to 10 years in prison

Doyal Kalita, 37, of Redford, was convicted of defrauding Internet users through fraudulent virus alerts and distributing controlled substances online.

Kalita was sentenced to 10 years and three years of supervised release.

The Redford native was also ordered to pay $272,293 in restitution to victims in the case and forfeit $2,542,784.

The 37-year-old man pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to import Schedule II and IV controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

Court documents revealed that Kalita and his co-conspirators organized a scheme to defraud Internet users through deceptive pop-up screens that falsely indicated to victims that their computers were infected with viruses (or were otherwise damaged) and encouraged the victims to call for technical assistance.

Victims were connected to Kalita call centers in India and Michigan and were frightened or deceived into purchasing products and services they did not need.

Court documents indicate that Kalita and his co-conspirators launched an online drug delivery scheme selling prescription drugs, including opioids and other controlled substances, shipped from suppliers in India and Europe to individuals in the Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States.

Officials said the 37-year-old and his co-conspirators facilitated online sales from several foreign drug suppliers and received controlled substances from abroad before repackaging them and distributing them across the United States. United.

To conceal the nature of the transactions, Kalita and his co-conspirators used PayPal and merchant accounts pretending to belong to nonexistent consulting companies, dietary supplement stores, auto parts suppliers, and travel agencies.

Kalita and his co-conspirators created fake travel itineraries and receipts to deceive credit card processors in the United States to prevent detection of the drug trade.

Court documents revealed that two of Kalita's alleged co-conspirators remain at large.

Officials said Manish Kumar, a partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug company and one of Kalita's suppliers, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, three months of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. in January 2023.

Robert Polanco, one of Kalita's co-conspirators in the money laundering scheme, was sentenced to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release and was later ordered to pay $216,900 in restitution to the victims of fraud in June 2023.