Springfield Landlord Nejad Nabbed for $150K Welfare Scam

EUGENE, Ore. – A Springfield property manager is facing serious time after a federal jury found him guilty of defrauding the system. Parthava Behesht Nejad, 82, was convicted Thursday, March 9, 2017, of wire fraud and theft for systematically stealing approximately $150,000 in welfare benefits while secretly controlling a substantial real estate portfolio.

The scheme unraveled in 2013 when social workers flagged Nejad as the landlord for a disproportionate number of individuals receiving disability payments. Federal investigators soon discovered a pattern of deception. Nejad, who claimed to be destitute, was actually the president of the Parthava Behesht Nejad International Foundation, which owned eight rental properties in north Springfield. Despite this, he’d been raking in Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, and Medicaid benefits since 2003.

For over a decade, Nejad meticulously crafted a false narrative of poverty. He repeatedly claimed to have no income, no assets beyond a paltry sum in a single bank account. The reality, laid bare by federal agents, was far different. His rental properties were generating significant income, and he’d concealed a second bank account that ballooned to over $30,000 at times – all while accepting public assistance.

Court records reveal Nejad strategically acquired the properties and transferred them to his foundation *before* applying for welfare benefits in 2003. He further muddied the waters by falsely telling the IRS and others that his foundation, incorporated in Oregon in 1986, was a legitimate church providing housing for victims of religious persecution. The truth? A simple rental business operating for decades, masked by a fabricated charitable facade.

The investigation was a joint effort, spearheaded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Investigation, and the Oregon Department of Human Services. Assistant United States Attorneys Helen Cooper and Amy Potter skillfully prosecuted the case, presenting evidence that clearly demonstrated Nejad’s calculated fraud.

Nejad is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13, 2017, before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken. The Grimy Times will be present for the sentencing and will continue to follow this case. The question remains: how long will this seasoned con man spend trading his rental empire for a prison cell?