Des Plaines man pleads guilty to defrauding elderly in telemarketing scam

A 27-year-old Des Plaines man, who federal authorities scammed hundreds of thousands of dollars from elderly victims as part of a telemarketing scheme, has pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Hirenkumar P. Chaudhari pleaded guilty to the charge Wednesday, federal prosecutors said.

He faces 20 years in prison at his sentencing set for April 1.

As part of his plea, Chaudhari admitted he used a phony Indian passport, fake name and false address to open multiple bank accounts throughout the U.S. to receive money from his victims.

In one instance, Chaudhari defrauded a Massachusetts woman out of more than $900,000, federal authorities said.

The scheme involved Chaudhari calling people and falsely claiming to be associated with federal agencies, then stating that a victim's identity had been stolen. He then had them transfer funds to accounts he controlled under the guise the money would be safe.

Elder scam complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission online at ftccomplaintassistant.gov, or by calling (877) FTC-HELP.