HAMMOND — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Indiana, Northern), published as received.
HAMMOND- Rajesh Kanuru, of Chicago, Illinois, has been charged by way of an Indictment with wire fraud and embezzlement of a bankruptcy estate, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
According to documents in this case, Kanuru was an attorney with a practice located in Chicago, Illinois. It is alleged that from March 2012, and continuing through on or about August 2018, Kanuru, with the intent to defraud, knowingly devised, intended to devise, and participated in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. It is alleged that the purpose of the scheme was to defraud his clients, their bankruptcy estate, the bankruptcy trustee, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana and to obtain money for his own personal use and benefit. The total amount of this alleged fraud is $348,388.50.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an Indictment is merely an allegation, and that all persons are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the Judge after a consideration of federal statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation is being conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service in collaboration with the Northern Indiana Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group, out of Region 10 of the Office of the United States Trustee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Luke Reilander and Jennifer Chang.
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