Lawyers representing Hargobind Tahilramani, the alleged Con Queen of Hollywood, set out the strategy they plan to follow to block a U.S. Justice Department’s extradition request. Hearings on the extradition are currently underway at the Western Magistrates Court in London.
In the 42-page document, filed Tuesday in a London court, Tahilramani’s team argued that the poor conditions in America’s prisons, their client’s unstable mental state and the location where his crimes allegedly took place – in this case the United Kingdom – are decisive factors. that should weigh in favor of Tahilramani. In addition, they argued that if Tahilramani were extradited to the United States, he would eventually be sent back to his home country of Indonesia, where he would face prosecution.
“The prison conditions in the US are such that extradition poses a real risk of a violation of Mr (Tahilramani)’s right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment,” the document said.
Tahilramani was arrested by authorities in the northern British city of Manchester in late November 2020 and has since been held in custody at HM Prison Wandsworth, in London. He is accused of impersonating several prominent female figures in Hollywood, including the producers Amy Pascal, Kathleen Kennedy and Victor Alonso to lure unwitting victims to Indonesia, where he allegedly confessed money to them.
Tahilramani became the subject of a lengthy FBI investigation that accelerated after The Hollywood Reporter wrote first about the scam in the summer of 2018.
Two years later, in the fall of 2020, a United States grand jury indicted Tahilramani on eight federal charges ranging from conspiracy to commit wire fraud to aggravated identity theft.
Now Tahilramani’s lawyers argue that sending him to the United States would be a violation of his human rights.
Tahilramani’s lawyers will argue that extradition to the United States is inappropriate as his alleged offenses took place while he was living in the UK.
In setting out their case, the lawyers outlined a brief history of their client’s life before arriving in the UK in 2016. They allege that Tahilramani was mistreated in various clinical and quasi-religious institutions in Indonesia, where they claim, he was subjected to gay talk therapy. It also alleges that he was sexually assaulted by a Christian pastor in one of these institutions.
According to the document, several mental health doctors interviewed Tahilramani after his arrest in 2020 determined that he suffered from some sort of “personality disorder,” though they differed on what that could be. A doctor said that since his incarceration in the UK, Tahilramani “hears voices and believes he has a microchip implanted in him,” the legal document said.
Some of the possible theories about his mental state include a “hypomanic disposition,” a “histrionic” personality disorder, and an “adjustment disorder.” Two psychiatrists determined that he might qualify for a diagnosis somewhere on the spectrum of bipolar disorder. But another psychiatrist noted that Tahilramani’s personality disorder was clearly marked by “psychopathic traits.”
The bulk of the defense paper outlined an argument that the U.S. prison system would unnecessarily subject Tahilramani to severe conditions in which he would be targeted for his homosexuality, and that these conditions would exacerbate his existing suicidal tendencies, creating a “significant risk,” according to the report. to a doctor that he would eventually commit suicide.
The extradition procedure started at the end of last week and will last until Thursday. During the hearings, expert statements were made by a panel of witnesses, including a U.S. academic who is familiar with the American Bureau of Prisons, a former FBI official, and a U.S. attorney with expertise on sentencing guidelines that would come into play as Tahilramani. would eventually be extradited.
Tahilramani testified on his own behalf in the early days, describing a fraught childhood, a bitter relationship with his two sisters and his identity as a gay man, who he claimed was vulnerable to attack and persecution in Indonesia. At one point during his testimony, he burst into tears, forcing the proceedings to be halted.
The document also exposed a slew of crimes Tahilramani had committed while still living in Indonesia. These include embezzlement and bomb threats to the US embassy. He was convicted on all counts and spent about four years in Cipinang, a large Indonesian prison on the outskirts of Jakarta.
Tahilramani appeared via video conference and sat largely unmoved by this week’s work. Dressed in a crisp light blue shirt and prison yellow trousers, looking well-groomed and in good health, Tahilramani took notes and listened attentively.
A judge is expected to rule on the case before the end of the year. Tahilramani has the right to appeal.