GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A federal judge sentenced the former leader of a Gwinnett County Hindu temple to a maximum 27 years in prison. Judge Timothy Batten, Sr. also ordered Annamalai Annamalai, 49, to pay $540,000 in restitution.
As he delivered the sentence, Batten called Annamalai a “heartless” and “ruthless” man who seemed to enjoy preying on the weak.
Before the sentence was handed down, Annamalai’s final comments during the hearing lasted nearly an hour.
He cried as he begged the judge for mercy. He said he made mistakes but became “addicted to God.” At one point he asked for the death penalty and said he would rather die than live in prison.
The judge also ordered Annamalai to serve the time in a special facility with limited outside communication. Prosecutors said Annamalai continued to run his religious money-making scheme even from behind bars, by abusing phone privileges using other inmates’ access codes.
In court, Annamalai said he would spend hours on the phone each day talking to his followers. Prosecutors said he funneled the money they paid to his family.
“I never thought I would see this day when he is actually going to be slammed behind bars for quite some time,” said Valmiki Raghunathan, who told Channel 2 Action News he was one of Annamalai’s first victims in Georgia.
Annamalai was convicted in August on 34 felony charges, including bank fraud and money laundering, in connection with his scheme.
He scammed people out of money in several states, officials say.
In Georgia, he ran his operation out of the now-defunct Hindu Temple of Georgia in Norcross. They say Annamalai repeatedly charged his customers’ credit cards without their permission and would later falsify documents when those charges were challenged by victims and credit card companies.
“He abused the concept of religion and Hinduism. It’s really not what he talks about,” Raghunathan said.
Prosecutors say Annamalai used the money to support a lavish lifestyle, including funneling money into bank accounts in India. They say he also concealed assets as he filed for bankruptcy for the Hindu Temple of Georgia in 2009.
In all, officials say Annamalai stole more than $2 million from his followers and the Government.
Annamalai’s spouse was also convicted in the case and has already served time and been deported to India. Annamalai could also face deportation after serving his sentence.
“It’s a tremendous feeling of relief,” Raghunathan said.
WSBTV
