A Leominster man is facing serious federal charges after allegedly devising a scheme to steal over a million dollars via a forged tax refund check intended for a Canadian company. Jesse El-Ghoul, 31, owner of Affordable Motor Group, was indicted on multiple counts including theft of government funds, bank fraud, and money laundering, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Charged by criminal complaint on June 6, El-Ghoul is now confronting the consequences of an alleged underhanded act conducted back in March 2024. He is accused of depositing a check, supposedly issued by the U.S. Treasury to a Canadian entity, into his business bank account having forged and altered it. Working diligently to unravel this financial web, authorities detailed that the funds were then disseminated across various shell companies via cashier’s checks – transactions now under the heavy gavel of justice’s scrutiny.
The ramifications of such charges weigh heavy with the theft of government funds count carrying a potential 10-year prison sentence, while the bank fraud count may account for up to 30 years. The money laundering counts could possibly stack two decades each to El-Ghoul’s sentence, contingent upon the verdict of a federal court judge guided by established sentencing rules and statutes.
Behind the indictment’s announcement, a cadre of law enforcement officials including United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and several special agents in charge from various divisions were involved, emphasizing the severe nature of the alleged crimes. With Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil in charge of prosecution for this case, the defendant, still cloaked with the presumption of innocence, shall soon find his fate illuminated under the court’s unyielding gaze.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney’s Office corralled the gravity of the situation into a formal declaration, underscoring that “The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” As the legal procedures unfold, El-Ghoul’s story serves as a stark reminder of the heavy consequences that financial fraud potentially levies upon those entangled within its chicanery.
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