1 day ago
Pakistani Man Receives 14-Year US Sentence in Fraud Scheme
Javed Ashiq was sentenced to 14 years in prison for helping scammers deceive an elderly person.
The scammers pretended to be federal agents.
They told the victim that someone had stolen their identity.
They said buying cryptocurrency and gold would protect the victim’s money.
The victim bought valuables, and Ashiq collected them and passed them to other people in the scheme.
The victim was left without the money and valuables.
Ashiq must also pay nearly $887,000 in restitution.
After prison, he will have three years of supervised release and will be processed for deportation.
Javed Ashiq, 52, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison in Georgia after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
He was ordered to pay $886,799.84 in restitution and will face three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said Ashiq collected gold bars and cash from an elderly victim and delivered them to co-conspirators in July and August 2024.
The group posed as federal agents and falsely claimed the victim’s identity had been stolen and their assets needed protection.
Prosecutors said Ashiq will be processed for deportation after serving his sentence; federal prison has no parole.
- Who
- Javed Ashiq, a 52-year-old Pakistani national, and co-conspirators who targeted an elderly victim.
- What
- Ashiq was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
- Where
- The case was sentenced in Georgia, in the Southern District of Georgia.
- When
- The fraud took place between July and August 2024; the sentence was announced Wednesday, with no calendar date specified.
- Why
- Ashiq acted as a courier, collecting gold bars and cash from a victim deceived by scammers posing as federal agents.
Key facts
- Defendant
- Javed Ashiq, 52, of Decatur, Georgia
- Sentence
- 168 months (14 years) in federal prison
- Restitution
- $886,799.84
- Supervised release
- Three years after prison
- Fraud period
- July–August 2024
- Victim
- An elderly person persuaded to buy cryptocurrency and gold
- After sentence
- Prosecutors said Ashiq will be processed for deportation after completing his prison term
Quotes
Margaret E. 'Meg' Heap
US Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia
“This case highlights the ruthless tactics scammers use to exploit senior citizens, including impersonating the very agencies meant to protect them.”
thehansindia.com
Matthew Ploskunak
Supervisory senior resident agent of the FBI's Atlanta office in Augusta
“Defrauding an elderly victim of their life savings through deception and impersonation is reprehensible.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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