Wethersfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Offense

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that URMILA SRI THAKUR, also known as Urmila Buddhu-Thakur and Indro Buddhu-Thakur, 72, of Wethersfield, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a money laundering offense stemming from a fraudulent debt elimination scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2009 to June 2012, THAKUR, her former husband, Deowraj “Deo” Buddhu and their daughter, Sunita Buddhu, sold a debt elimination “program” to vulnerable individuals through various businesses, including Paradise Consulting Service, Hema, Inc., and Secured Redemption. In exchange for substantial fees, Deo Buddhu told victims about a little-known government fund that could be used to pay off their mortgages and other debts. In fact, no such fund exists. Buddhu instructed his victims to stop making payments on their mortgages, credit cards and other debts, and to stop paying their property taxes. He also provided his victims with fictitious promissory notes, which he called “bonds,” as well as other frivolous documentation, and advised his victims to use them to pay their debts.

On June 12, 2012, the day after Deo Buddhu’s arrest, THAKUR withdrew $75,000 from a certificate of deposit account that contained funds from the scheme. She also obtained several cashier’s checks, including one for $50,000 made payable to THAKUR, which she thereafter negotiated using accounts in the name of SDK SYS Solutions and TRK Consulting Services.

THAKUR pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on November 20, 2017.

As part of her plea, THAKUR has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $335,072, which is the amount attributable to the underlying fraudulent debt elimination scheme.

THAKUR is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.

Deo Buddhu and Sunita Buddhu were previously convicted in Hartford federal court.

This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Liam Brennan.