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Indian-origin man sentenced for $1.8M customs fraud
Kapadia also was ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy and customs fraud charges.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 21, Jul 2026
- 15:10 EDT
- 25
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Representative image / canva
An Indian-origin man was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that evaded more than $1.89 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois said.
Ravi Kapadia, 46, a former accountant for a United Arab Emirates-based gold jewelry exporter and an Indian citizen who most recently lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to defraud the United States and enter goods by means of false statements.
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U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced him on June 26 and also ordered him to pay restitution to the United States.
According to federal prosecutors, Kapadia conspired with the owner of a UAE jewelry exporter and others to fraudulently import gold jewelry from countries including India while falsely claiming the products originated in Oman, allowing the shipments to avoid applicable U.S. customs duties.
When U.S. Customs and Border Protection questioned one shipment bound for the Northern District of Illinois and sought proof of the jewelry's origin, Kapadia and his co-conspirators created false records to support the claim that the jewelry had been manufactured in Oman.
The fabricated documents included a list of purported employees with fictitious job titles and salary information, which was submitted to CBP.
At sentencing, Kapadia was held responsible for evading more than $1.89 million in customs duties between June 2019 and April 2020. His conviction also subjects him to removal from the United States.
Announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros said, "Trade fraud, like the conspiracy perpetrated in this case, deprives the United States government of vital revenue and undermines consumer confidence."
Matthew Scarpino, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations' Chicago office, said the case demonstrates the agency's commitment to protecting the integrity of U.S. trade systems and pursuing individuals who violate federal customs laws.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.
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