SEATTLE – Hadis Nuhanovic, 32, of Acworth, Georgia, is headed to federal prison for two years after being sentenced for orchestrating a brazen bribery scheme targeting Amazon employees. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones didn’t mince words at today’s sentencing, stating there need to be “significant consequences for commercial bribery” and that Nuhanovic’s actions were driven purely by “greed… Enough was not enough.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the 20-month sentence, detailing a “long-running global conspiracy” that extended beyond simple marketplace manipulation. According to U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, Nuhanovic and his co-conspirators weren’t just hurting competing businesses; they were putting customers at risk by pushing counterfeit products and suppressing legitimate complaints. The scheme involved bribing Amazon insiders to reinstate banned products and bury negative reviews – even after one co-conspirator was fired, Nuhanovic allegedly just found more willing participants.
Court records reveal Nuhanovic’s operation began in 2010, initially selling DVDs and smartphone cases. By 2017-2018, the scheme escalated, with Nuhanovic funneling over $20,000 in bribes to an Amazon employee for insider information. This intel gave him a clear advantage in his own business, but he didn’t stop there – he also peddled the information to other sellers. Communication with the insider took place on an encrypted messaging system, highlighting the deliberate attempt to conceal the illegal activity. Nuhanovic used legitimate invoices from insiders to forge his own, allowing him to falsely claim he wasn’t selling counterfeit goods.
The fraud wasn’t limited to DVDs. Nuhanovic exploited the bribed insiders to continue selling dietary supplements from unapproved suppliers, a dangerous practice that put consumer health at risk. He also weaponized the insider access against competitors, filing false intellectual property complaints that led to one competitor’s suspension from the Amazon Marketplace. The co-conspirators even targeted customers who left negative reviews, attempting to harass them with confidential information obtained through the bribery scheme.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard A. Collodi condemned the operation as a blatant attempt to “cheat the public” and “deceive unwitting customers.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam Hinman argued for a two-year sentence, emphasizing the damage done to the trust placed in digital commerce platforms. “Nuhanovic and the co-conspirators’ crimes hurt Amazon and its users by violating basic principles of secure commerce,” she wrote to the court. Beyond the bribery, Nuhanovic also admitted to tax evasion, falsely claiming $826,510 in gross receipts for 2018 when the actual figure was $1,446,540, resulting in unpaid taxes of $160,453.
Nuhanovic pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to violate the Travel Act and Filing a False Tax Return on September 28, 2022. Judge Jones ordered him to forfeit $100,000 – the proceeds of the conspiracy – and pay $160,453 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. This case serves as a stark warning: manipulating online marketplaces and evading taxes won’t pay off, and those who do will face federal consequences.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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