111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-3586
Fax: (914) 995-2116
March 5, 2013 --Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Vickram Bedi (DOB 07/02/74) of 38 Hollow Oak Road, Chappaqua, New York was sentenced today to an indeterminate term of three to nine years in state prison on his November 2012 guilty plea to:
- one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class “B” Felony,
in a continuing scheme to defraud the victim, Roger Davidson of over $21,000,000.
Datalink Computer Products, Inc. of 165-175 Main Street, Mount Kisco, New York also pled guilty to:
- one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class “B” Felony,
and will be sentenced on March 26, 2013.
Over a six year period from August 2004 through to August 2010, the defendant, through Datalink Computer Products, Inc. their computer service business located at 165-175 Main Street in Mount Kisco, New York on a continuing basis, using false pretenses, stole money from the victim.
The victim, a noted pianist and composer, is the great-grandson and great grand-nephew of the two brothers who founded Schlumberger Ltd. the multi-national oilfield services company headquartered in Houston, Texas with offices in Paris, France and The Hague.
The defendant was able to defraud the victim by fabricating various security threats and scenarios using non existent foreign nationals and false affiliations with government intelligence agencies to further the security schemes. They also instilled the fear of bodily harm to the victim, his family and the destruction of the victim’s life’s work: computers containing various musical compositions.
The scheme commenced in August 2004, when the victim’s computer developed a virus. Concerned that documents, photos and more importantly the music he had written and had stored on the computer could be lost, the victim took the computer to the defendant’s premises to have it repaired. Bedi confirmed that victim’s computer had a virus and indicated that the virus was extremely virulent, was targeted at the victim’s computer, and had also damaged Datalink’s computers.
Bedi told the victim that he had the facility, the contacts, and the means of tracking down the source of this virus that specifically targeted the victim’s computer and that he and his family were in grave danger. As a result, Bedi convinced the victim to not only begin paying for computer data retrieval and security, but also to begin paying for necessary personal physical protection.
Bedi subsequently advised the victim that he successfully tracked the source of the computer virus to a remote village in Honduras. Bedi informed him that the hard drive was the source of the worm that had invaded the computer and advised the victim that Bedi’s uncle, who Bedi contended is an officer in the Indian military, flew to Honduras in an Indian military aircraft during a reconnaissance mission and obtained the hard drive.
Bedi further related that his uncle obtained information that Polish priests affiliated with Opus Dei were attempting to possibly harm the victim.
Bedi also advised the victim that the Central Intelligence Agency was watching the him.
Over this period Datalink charged the victim’s American Express card accounts on a continuing and monthly basis.
In July of 2010, the Harrison Police Department became involved when interested parties contacted them regarding a civil matter relating to the investigation.
The Harrison Police Department and the Organized Crime Bureau of the District Attorney’s Office were the primary investigating agencies, with assistance from the Mount Kisco and New Castle Police Departments.
The defendants were arrested by Harrison Police Department at their home as they were preparing to leave the country.
Co-defendant Helga Invarsdottir (DOB 10/10/71) of 38 Hollow Oak Road, Chappaqua, New York plead guilty on Dec. 14, 2010 to:
- one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class “B” Felony,
- one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony.
She will be sentenced on April 23, 2013.
Assistant District Attorney Steven Vandervelden, Chief of the Organized Crime and Criminal Enterprise Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Nicole Gamble of he Economic Crimes Bureau prosecuted the case.
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| Vickram Bedi | Helga Invarsdottir |
In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
