Hindu Leader Ordered To Jail Pending Sentencing On Abuse of Visa Program

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a Wisconsin federal district judge has ordered a convicted Hindu religious leader to jail pending his sentencing next month.  Last November, Sagarsen Haldar (also known as Gopal Hari Das) was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the government after it was shown that he had abused the religious worker visa program.  Haldar filed 25 applications with the State Department claiming that the people he was sponsoring would be working at his Hindu temple in Milwaukee. In fact, however, they were working as cab drivers or at convenience stores and turning their cash earnings over to Haldar who had charged them up to $30,000 to arrange their entry. After his conviction, Haldar had been allowed to remain free pending sentencing.  However he has now apparently violated conditions of his release by not reporting a contact with police in a shoplifting incident to his probation officer, and in filing false documents with the court in seeking a new trial. Last week Judge Rudolph Randa revoked Haldar's release, saying that there is a danger he may flee to his native India before his sentencing.