OHIO — The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio has ordered trucking company owner Gurtej Singh, also known as Gary Bhullar, to pay $261,752 in restitution to those he defrauded in a shipping fraud scheme.
Singh was sentenced in October to 12 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment and 100 hours of community service for his role in a shipping fraud scheme.
“The investigation revealed that from April 2018 until May 2022, Singh would charge shippers a premium rate to reserve the entire trailer to ensure their load would not be mixed with cargo from other shipments,” according to the release. “However, Singh and others surreptitiously opened sealed truck trailers and removed goods to illegally consolidate loads to save costs, often failing to deliver many goods to their final destination.”
The original indictment in May 2023 stated Singh and others who own and operated several motor carrier companies conspired to steal cargo from interstate shipments that were supposed to be delivered to Amazon and Bath and Body Works. Singh directed CSE drivers to stop at the CSE warehouse in Columbus, Ohio so employees could steal cargo from their trucks. The employees accessed the trailers by removing locking mechanisms on the trailer doors, making it appear as though the trailer doors were never opened during transport.
Singh also filed an application with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) falsely stating that Singh did not have relationships with other FMCSA regulated entities.
DOT-OIG conducted the investigation with the Columbus Police Department.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
