Annamalai Annamalai of Hindu Temple of Georgia sentenced to more than 27 years in prison

‘Dr. Commander Selvam’ did massive fraud tax, bank fraud.

By Raif Karerat

WASHINGTON, DC: A former leader of the now defunct Hindu Temple of Georgia was sentenced Monday to nearly three decades in prison, according to a report by AJC.com.

Annamalai Annamalai — also known as both Dr. Commander Selvam and Swamiji Sri Selvam Siddhar — was convicted in August on federal charges including tax fraud, bank fraud, and bankruptcy fraud.

The 49-year-old was sentenced to spend 27 years and three months in prison and “to not engage in any spiritual service for compensation.”

“Annamalai perverted the sacred institution of religion by using it as a vehicle for greed and personal profit,” acting U.S. Attorney John A. Horn said. “He convinced his victims that they had a problem in need of spiritual guidance, and then took advantage of their vulnerabilities for personal financial gain.”

AJC reported Annamalai offered spiritual guidance and counseling to his disciples in exchange for money. Once receiving payment, however, he habitually made superfluous charges to his client’s credit cards in order to maintain his own lavish lifestyle.

The faux-spiritual leader went so far as to routinely present credit card companies with doctored documents when his followers disputed the charges, according to local authorities.

Annamalai was also convicted on charges that accused him of submitting false documents and affidavits during his temple’s bankruptcy proceedings; laundering money he received from those proceedings; concealing assets from creditors; and conspiring to conceal the arrest of a co-defendant, AJC disclosed.

The grand total of all the charges Annamalai was found guilty of rests at 34.

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Batten set several conditions during Annamalai’s sentencing Monday, including that he not file “frivolous” lawsuits against former customers.

The judge also recommended that Annamalai be housed in a “communications management housing unit,” a special facility with capabilities to monitor his phone calls and electronic communications.