6 men charged in fraud scheme that saw $100,000's transferred to Pakistan

In the following press release Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office; Colonel David M. Rohrer, Chief of Police, Fairfax County Police Department; and Guy Cottrell, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division announced that Abdul Hameed, age 45, of Houston, Texas, Bilal Saleem, age 26, of Woodbridge, Virginia, Naim Aslam Mann, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, Basir Chand, age 43, of Springfield, Virginia, Arshad Hussain, age 47, of Dumfries, Virginia, and Jawad Ahmad were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to organize a continuing financial crimes enterprise, and with related substantive counts.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to devise a scheme in which they used various fraudulent identities that they controlled to obtain numerous credit card accounts, personal and business bank accounts, and mortgage loan accounts. According to the indictment, the defendants established multiple false businesses used to fabricate employment and salary information for the false identities, which was then provided to credit card companies, leasing offices, mortgage companies, and financial institutions for the purpose of obtaining credit in the names of the false identities. The defendants also rented apartments and purchased properties using false identities, and these locations were then used to receive mail from the lenders addressed to the false identities and businesses and to receive shipments of goods purchased using the false identities.

The indictment further alleges that the defendants organized, managed, and supervised a continuing financial crimes enterprise – that is, a series of violations of the mail fraud statute that affected a financial institution and was committed by at least four persons acting in concert – and received $5,000,000 or more in gross receipts from the criminal enterprise during a 24-month period from in or about May 2005 to May 2007. Hundreds of thousands of dollars obtained from the scheme were transferred by the defendants to accounts in Pakistan.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys James P. Gillis, Gordon R. Kromberg, and Karen L. Taylor are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Update on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 9:54PM by The Editor - Ian Shuter - ACFE, DMS

Basir Chand, 43, of Springfield, Virginia, was sentenced today (11/9/2007) to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $5 million in forfeiture for his role in a multimillion dollar credit card and mortgage fraud scheme. Chand had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to organize a continuing financial crimes enterprise and to a related mail fraud count.

Update on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 11:43AM by The Editor - Ian Shuter - ACFE, DMS

All seven conspirators have now been sentenced for stealing more than $5 million through a fraud scheme involving identity theft and credit card, bank and mortgage fraud, announced Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, following today’s sentencing of the final conspirator [Arshad Hussain] by United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

The scheme, led by Abdul Hameed, age 47, of Houston Texas, involved the use of at least 35 false identities to obtain approximately 200 credit card accounts and to open approximately 60 bank accounts. From about May 2005 to May 2007, Hameed and others used the false identities – representing individuals or businesses – to purchase properties, make other large purchases, conduct balance transfers and obtain substantial cash advances. The conspirators were all born in Pakistan and transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars from the scheme to accounts in Pakistan.

Hameed was sentenced on July 25, 2008, to 212 months in prison as the ringleader of the fraud scheme, and today Arshad Hussain, age 49, of Dumfries, Va., was sentenced to 24 months in prison after previously escaping to Pakistan and ultimately returning to the United States to face charges in this case. Other conspirators include:

· Bilal Saleem, age 29, of Woodbridge, Va., sentenced to 78 months in prison on Dec. 14, 2007.

· Naim Aslam Mann, age 34, of Baltimore, Md., sentenced to 45 months in prison on Dec. 14, 2007

· Basir Chand, age 45 of Springfield, Va., sentenced to 78 months in prison on Nov. 9, 2007

· Jawad Ahmad, age 43, of Ashburn, Va., sentenced to36 months in prison on Feb. 12, 2008

· Ozair Idris, age 37, of Tamarac, Fl., sentenced to 30 months in prison on Feb. 29, 2008.

Some sentences were later reduced by the court in recognition of the defendants’ assistance in investigating and prosecuting these offenses.

Full press release