New York sources stated that Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 42, who operated the HGlobal call centre in Ahmedabad, was extradited to face trial on charges relating to the scam that allegedly ripped off thousands of Americans of millions of dollars using people in call centres impersonating US government officials. Meanwhile Patel was arrested and produced on Friday in a federal court in Houston, Texas, where Magistrate Judge Peter Bray remanded him to custody.
Benczkowski said "This extradition once again demonstrates the (Justice) Department's unwavering commitment to disrupt and dismantle the India-based call centre scam industry and to work with our foreign partners to hold accountable those who perpetrate schemes that defraud our citizens". Furthermore he added that "Patel operated a call centre that allegedly preyed upon vulnerable U.S. citizens as part of a massive fraud scheme".
David Green, the Special Agent in charge of the DHS Houston Field Office said "This historic extradition should serve as notice to transnational criminal organizations of the lengths DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is willing to go to arrest those who would enrich themselves by extorting the most vulnerable in our society”. Moreover he warned of global action against the owners, managers and employees of overseas call centres, saying "Our pursuit of justice for victims of their scams does not stop at the water's edge."
