Seattle, WA – A Bellevue man known for his lavish lifestyle has been sentenced to five years in prison for a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme that targeted Apple Inc., a small bank, and various shippers.
Maziar Rezakhani, 27, used his deceitful tactics to amass over $3 million dollars, which he spent on luxury cars, penthouses, and lavish personal expenses. U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes called the defendant’s actions a “story of unrelenting greed and lies.”
Between 2014 and 2015, Rezakhani transformed his business from reselling iPhones overseas to a sophisticated fraud scheme. He ordered thousands of phones, falsely claimed they were stolen, and convinced Apple Inc. to reverse charges totaling $342,710.
In addition to the iPhone fraud, Rezakhani submitted falsified tax and bank records to Bellevue’s Foundation Bank, securing a multi-million dollar line of credit. He spent millions on personal expenses and defaulted on over $2.8 million, contributing to the bank’s sale and the loss of numerous jobs.
As if his previous frauds weren’t enough, Rezakhani attempted to start another scheme by shipping boxes filled with pumice brick instead of iPhones, again attempting to defraud shippers and insurance companies.
In July 2016, Rezakhani pleaded guilty to multiple counts of mail fraud, bank fraud, and filing a false income tax return. He agreed to restitution amounting to $3,567,756 and is forfeiting luxury cars worth over $100,000. The investigation was led by the FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI, with the case prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney.
Related Federal Cases
- Four Convicted in Bellevue Hash Oil Blast · Washington
- Tacoma Fraudster Pleads Guilty to $1.8M Tax Refund Scheme · Washington
- Bellevue Predator: 9 Years for Child Porn Empire · Iowa
- Bellevue Mayor Campbell’s Death Leads to Federal Charges in Hash Oil Blast · Washington
- Ramaswamy Snubs VP Slot, Wants to Build, Not Wait · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
