California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a nine-year jail sentence for Iqbal Randhawa, a travel agent who defrauded members of the South Asian community in Northern California. Between 2017 and 2020, Randhawa was hired by over a dozen victims to purchase airline tickets. Instead of fulfilling these purchases, he provided fraudulent itineraries and stole amounts ranging from $1,100 to $12,000.
Attorney General Bonta stated, "My office is dedicated to seeing those who defraud vulnerable Californians pay for their crimes. I am thankful for the tireless work of my team in this case. Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder: If you break the law and engage in fraud and theft, my office will hold you accountable."
Randhawa also committed more than $89,000 in credit card fraud by using stolen credit information to buy legitimate airline tickets, which he then sold to customers to sustain his travel agency. After two trials, he was found guilty of 11 felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement and two felony counts related to violating Seller of Travel laws. The court identified several aggravating factors such as the vulnerability of the victims and significant financial losses.
The prosecution was handled by the California Department of Justice's Cybercrime Section. This team specializes in investigating technology-related crimes across California. The case was also investigated by the Northern CA Computer Crimes Task Force and DOJ’s Seller of Travel Program section.