WHITE PLAINS, NY (Feb. 6, 2026) — A former aide to the Westchester County Board of Legislators has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to attempting to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and possessing child pornography, marking a major development in a case that began with a 2022 vigilante sting operation.
Anand Singh, 35, of Tarrytown, New York, entered his guilty plea on Thursday in U.S. District Court in White Plains, according to court records and local reporting from News 12 Westchester. During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti, Singh admitted to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and to possession of child pornography. These charges stem from allegations that he used dating apps (including Hily) and text messaging in December 2022 to communicate explicitly with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, with the intent to meet for sexual purposes.
The initial sting was conducted by a vigilante group known as OBL Global, which posed online as the minor, exchanged messages with Singh, and arranged a purported meetup at an apartment building in Newark, New Jersey. Group members confronted and filmed Singh upon his arrival, later posting the video publicly in April 2023. The footage prompted Singh’s firing from his position with the Westchester County Board of Legislators, where he had served as a staffer (he previously worked for the Yonkers City Council as well).
Federal authorities, led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, took over the investigation. On May 1, 2023, Singh was arrested in White Plains federal court on an initial charge of attempted enticement of a minor under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). As detailed in a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release from that date, the charge carried a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted. Following his arrest, he was initially detained but later released on a $700,000 unsecured bond co-signed by family members while awaiting further proceedings.
The guilty plea consolidates the case’s progression, with Singh now facing sentencing in May 2026. At the Thursday plea hearing, Judge Briccetti revoked Singh’s bail and ordered him remanded to custody, where he remains pending the upcoming sentencing date. The final sentence could involve significant prison time, given the mandatory minimum on the enticement-related offense and additional penalties for child pornography possession.
The case drew attention in Westchester County due to Singh’s government role and questions about how county officials handled early reports of the sting (some legislators learned of it in late 2022, but his termination only followed the video’s public release). It also underscored federal priorities in combating online child exploitation.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.