BOSTON — A Florida man stole tuition and deposits from families who planned to send their children to sports camps in the Boston area in July and August 2019.
Mehdi Belhassan, 53, of Tampa, Fla., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his crimes.
Belhassan was convicted of two counts of wire fraud following a six-day jury trial in October 2023.
Beginning in the fall of 2018, Belhassan falsely claimed that he would operate his annual MB Sports Camps at a Boston-area college. Later, Belhassan falsely announced that the camps would occur at a Boston-area university.
The City of Boston told Belhassan that he could not have his camp anywhere in Boston because he lacked the appropriate permits; however, Belhassan continued to promote the camp and collect funds.
Belhassan also defrauded a financing company to obtain operating funds for his non-existent camp using a fraudulent contract with a college that contained the forged signature of a college administrator.
Belhassan used the operating funds for his camp to fly to Las Vegas where he gambled and spent the money on entertainment and hotels.
Belhassan was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Belhassan was ordered to pay restitution of $575,427 and forfeiture of $443,346.
Related Federal Cases
- Stephen S. Eubanks, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2024 · New Hampshire
- William Cordor, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2020 · Massachusetts
- Randall Crater, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2022 · Massachusetts
- Florida Man, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2023 · Massachusetts
- Paul Schnitzer, Wire Fraud, Massachusetts 2024 · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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