A Boston car dealership owner has been indicted for allegedly stealing $1.3 million from the US government in a fraudulent tax refund scheme.
According to a new press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), 31-year-old Jessie El-Ghoul has been charged with one count of theft of government funds, one count of bank fraud and four counts of money laundering for allegedly defrauding the government.
Authorities allege that El-Ghoul – who owned the Affordable Motor Group car dealership in Leominster – deposited a forged tax refund check worth $1.34 million into his business account originally made out by the U.S. Treasury Department to an unnamed Canadian firm.
After depositing the fake check, El-Ghoul returned to the bank and took out four cashier’s checks payable to shell companies and a law firm as a means of laundering the funds. He was arrested and charged on June 6th.
According to the press release, he faces up to 10 years for the theft of the funds, up to 30 years for bank fraud and up to 20 years for each count of money laundering.
In June, the DOJ unveiled that El-Ghoul was allegedly part of a criminal ring that stole tax refunds from legitimate taxpayers. Authorities say that between 2023 and 2024, the organization – which included eight people – allegedly stole $8.8 million in tax refund checks and deposited the funds into accounts they controlled.
As stated by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley at the time,
“As alleged, these defendants stole millions in tax refunds owed to hardworking Americans and used Massachusetts businesses and community banks to defraud the U.S. Treasury. Would-be thieves should understand that taking government money is not a victimless crime.”
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