Evil spirit removal and $60,000 scam: Indian-origin astrologer arrested in US for scamming
The 33-year-old man, Hemanth Kumar Muneppa, is facing charges relating to grand larceny and fortune telling, according to CBS News.
Under New York state law, it is illegal to charge for fortune telling services, unless it is for entertainment purposes. 'Telling fortunes', 'exorcising evil spirits', or providing any sort of occult advice is classified as a Class B misdemeanor.
Nassau County Police said Muneppa was arrested from Hicksville on July 18.
The police said that the man initially charged a 68-year-old woman $20,000 for fortune telling services on July 3. The woman returned for additional services at Anjana Ji, CBS News reported.
The website of the company, located at on South Broadway, says it offers several services related to astrology, ranging from "evil spirit removal" to "love spell caster."
However, Muneppa asked the woman to pay an extra amount of $42,000, following which she was taken to a Broadway bank to withdraw the money.
When the woman went to withdraw the amount, the bank officials raised questions, thus eventually calling in the police when they learnt it was for psychic services.
'The victim was advised she may be being scammed, and police were called for assistance,' the Nassau County Police Department said.
Muneppa was arrested in the parking lot, and was produced before a court on Friday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the New York Post. He was later released on bail, but will still have to wear an ankle monitor.
Meanwhile, a local clothing store owner Mehwish Saeed told NBC4 that the employees working at the astrologers' were 'just making people a fool'. 'Playing with somebody's feelings and giving them false hope. That's really bad,' she said.
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