Convicted for defrauding his followers, filing false tax returns.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: A self-styled multi-millionaire guru of a now defunct Hindu Temple of Georgia, Annamalai Annamalai, also known as Dr. Commander Selvam and Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar, is going to find plenty of nirvana: in jail.
The bogus swami was convicted by a jury of defrauding his followers to sustain a lavish lifestyle for his family and himself.
Federal authorities on Monday announced the conviction of Annamalai, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He charged his followers fees in exchange for spiritual and related services, but then would run-up unapproved charges, using their credit card numbers, authorities said.
“This defendant traded on his perceived religious authority and spiritual powers to cheat the faithful who believed in him,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The jury saw through his deception.”
Annamalai, 49, would then submit bogus documentation to the credit card companies to support any charges that were disputed, prosecutors said. The money he made through those fraudulent charges was used to finance his and his family’s lifestyle, which prosecutors said included luxury vehicles, control of multiple homes and foreign bank accounts in India.
Annamalai’s other convictions include ones for wilfully filing a false tax return for the 2007 year for failing to disclose his financial interest in foreign bank accounts held in India, reported the Journal Constitution.
Annamalai was also convicted of bankruptcy fraud offenses in connection with the Hindu Temple’s petition for bankruptcy protection in August 2009, authorities said. Annamalai diverted credit card receipts and donations intended for the Gwinnett County Hindu Temple to a bank account in the name of a different entity, authorities said.
Annamalai, who once owned a million-dollar home in Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth, was also convicted of money laundering for using proceeds from the bankruptcy fraud to pay mortgages on properties that he owned, and payments to himself, authorities said, the report said.
The self-proclaimed guru opened the Norcross temple — with a purple exterior adorned in green neon — in 2005 and by the following year he was under investigation by Gwinnett County police, who, in 2008, charged him with theft and practicing medicine without a license. Those charges were later dismissed.
He took that fight to civil courts, where he filed several lawsuits alleging breach of contract against individuals he claimed had procured his religious services then failed to pay. Those lawsuits slowed down the bankruptcy trustee’s attempt at recovering funds owned by Annamalai, said the trustee’s lawyer, Hayden Kepner, according to the Journal-Constitution.
His wife, Parvathi Sivanadiyan, is still awaiting trial. His former chief financial officer, Kumar Chinnathambi, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced October 24 in federal court.
Annamalai is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13.
4 Comments
The guys a freaking liar and thief. I paid him money for a lawsuit i needed help with he sure got his money also someone called one timesaid that someone was stealing credit card numbers at the mandir. Guys a piece of work hes no holy man he came to sf bay area out of blue wanted to do pooja at my house annoying person he told me by just touching him oeople have good luck well for me nothings happened this scumbag took my money. Karmas a thing the longer it tskes the worse it will be for him. Someone lock him up and throw away ghe key. Ugly scumbag.
Swamiji Sri Sri Selvam Siddhar mahaishi jyotish sam rat is the only best and youngest diabetic swamiji in the whore wide world.
Sri Sri Selvam Siddhar Swamiji is the one , and only Swamiji, who is living in North America, since 18 years , Swamiji had gone thru so many stages, so many people might be wondering why swamiji have been going thru all the problems, but one thing they are forgetting that, every human being has to go thru their Karma chart, no matter who they are?, and what they are? most of the Swamiji’s were recognized after their samdhi only including Jesus Crist( Son of the God and, King of the peace) Very few were recognized, when they were in the human form.
“OUM HARA,HARA SELVAM SIDDHARE NAMAHA”
By posting an article like this, I don’t know what they are getting, except bad karma, any way , I met swamiji, Selvam Siddhar after suffering a lot in my life, no one can imagine what I have gone thru, after he started performing the rituals , I have seen so much difference in my life, people who knew me definitely knows what I have gone thru, anyway Swamiji didn’t kill any one, Swamiji have no connection with mafia or any other extremist activates, just some communication gap, and bankruptcy , as an Indian , I know very well how the Sages has to live, and be detached with worldly things, Swamiji is exactly the same, the way how any Sage has to live.
Before posting, just think once , what I am doing? why do I have to do this? and finally what I am getting by doing this? I am telling this for your good only.