![Ex-Deep Purple Accountant Stole Nearly $3 Million, Gets Prison Sentence](https://townsquare.media/site/366/files/2019/05/Deep-Purple.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Ex-Deep Purple Accountant Stole Nearly $3 Million, Gets Prison Sentence
Over two years ago, Deep Purple filed a lawsuit against Dipak Shanker Rao, their longtime accountant. He was accused of siphoning off nearly $5 million from the band's royalties and now the matter has been settled and Rao has received a prison sentence of six years and four months after being found guilty.
SurreyLive reports that Rao, 71, stole £2.2 million (about $2.87 million), transferring money from the Deep Purple Overseas Ltd. and HEC Enterprises Ltd. accounts, of which he was made director of in 2009 and 2003 respectively, and had been a secretary since 1992. Rao pleaded guilty to both fraud by abuse of position and transferring criminal property.
Rather than distributing royalty payments from these accounts, Rao kept a percentage of the money coming before distributing them to the artists.
Rao has been disqualified as a director of a company until 2028 and will be required to serve at least half of his sentence before being released.
In 2014, after stolen funds were uncovered at a board meeting, Rao resigned from both companies. It has been reported that he used the stolen money to invest in money-making scams.
See Deep Purple in the Top 70 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the 1970s
More From Highway 98.9
![Shreveport Senator: “Autism is a Result of Vaccinations”](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2018/03/John-Milkovich.png?w=980&q=75)
![See Aerosmith Live in Las Vegas – For Free!](http://townsquare.media/site/295/files/2018/11/19-aerosmith-Michael-Loccisano.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Want to Make Friends at Work? Science Says Complain More!](http://townsquare.media/site/181/files/2014/04/workers.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Your Fitness Tracker Could be Adding Miles to Your Run](http://townsquare.media/site/437/files/2016/08/Fitbit-FEAT.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Rolling Stones to Release ‘Rock and Roll Circus’ Box Set](http://townsquare.media/site/295/files/2019/04/Rolling-Stones-ABKCO.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![DeSoto Parish Sheriff Says Murder Suspect Now in Custody](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2019/04/richardson.png?w=980&q=75)
![Study Suggests Selfies Damage Skin Just Like Tanning Beds, Smoking](http://townsquare.media/site/182/files/2019/04/RS9666_522081787.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![The Best Song From Every Metallica Album](http://townsquare.media/site/295/files/2019/04/MEt3.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Why Was the Battle of Winterfell So Dark? The Cinematographer Explains](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2019/04/game-of-thrones-s8e3.jpg?w=980&q=75)