Medway Man Sentenced for Extortion Activities

BOSTON – A Medway man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Worcester in connection with his role in an extortion scheme.

Baljit Singh Rehal, a/k/a Joel Rehal, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 33 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution to the victim, and to forfeit an additional $180,000 to the government.   In October 2014, Rehal and Nicholas D. Valorie, III, of Milford, were charged with collection of extension of credit by extortionate means.  Rehal pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2015.    

Between December 2012 and January 2014, Rehal, Valorie and others perpetrated a scheme in which they convinced a man that he owed money to the FBI for an alleged whistleblower investigation.  They proceeded to collect payments on the $180,000 debt from the man.  When the man could not make the payments, Rehal and others would purportedly loan him money and have him sign promissory notes to repay the money to them.  Rehal used extortionate means to collect an extension of credit made to the victim, or to punish him for the non-repayment.

Valorie was released on pretrial diversion.  If he completes the conditions of pretrial diversion, including repaying the victim, the case against him will be dismissed.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Milford Police Chief Thomas O’Loughlin; and Medway Police Chief Allen M. Tingley made the announcement.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.