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CLEVELAND (AP) — A businessman who orchestrated a $180 million check-kiting scheme and used the proceeds to live a lavish lifestyle and amass one of the world’s most revered classic car collections has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison.
Najeeb Khan, 70, of Edwardsburg, Michigan, told a federal judge Thursday that he was “blinded by greed” to carry out the scheme and buy more than 250 cars, as well as airplanes, boats and a helicopter, according to Cleveland.com. Besides receiving a 97-month sentence, he must pay $121 million in restitution to Cleveland-based KeyBank, $27 million to clients and $9.8 million in back taxes.
Authorities have said Khan carried out the fraud from 2011-2019 while growing his payroll processing business in Elkhart, Indiana. He funneled dozens, sometimes hundreds, of checks and wire transfers with insufficient funds through three banks, artificially inflating the amount in his accounts. He siphoned off about $73 million for himself.
He used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle that included expensive vacations, mansions in Arizona and Michigan and properties in Florida and Montana, as well as planes and yachts. His massive car collection included pristine vintage Ferraris, Fiats and Jaguars.
Khan had plead guilty to bank fraud and attempted tax evasion. His attorneys said he had helped his victims recover some funds, in part by selling off his car collection that fetched about $40 million at auction.
Prosecutors said that when Khan’s scheme collapsed, about 1,700 of his clients lost out on money Khan’s company had withdrawn for payroll taxes. Those companies included small- and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits and charities, including the Boy Scouts of America and four Catholic dioceses.
Some victims had to pay the IRS or their employees out of their own pockets or take out lines of credit, prosecutors said. Others laid off employees.
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Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner, attended the Fidelity International Trade & Creative Connect (FITCC) conference where he gave an opening speech emphasizing the significance of hosting such a global event in the fourth-largest city in the United States. October 24-25, Fidelity Bank Plc. Nigeria premiered this international trade and creative fair attracting the brightest minds and industry leaders to explore the ever-evolving landscape of international trade, exports, and creative connections.
Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner is being introduced to Mustafa Chike-Obi, Chairman of Fidelity Bank Nigeria by event facilitator, Linda Anukwuem.
Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner is being introduced to the President of Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Oramah
To Mayor Turner, this event meant so much to his administrative agenda regarding global commerce. For instance, he just led a three-country trade mission to West Africa. He will out-serve his tenure next month, making this event his last endeavor to strengthen the City’s business ties with Africa.
Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner greets the President of Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Oramah
Houston is designated as a hub for international commerce, known as the energy capital of the world, and a global leader in healthcare, aeronautics, advanced manufacturing, and innovation. Besides having the largest Nigerian population in the country, the city remains the most diverse, with over 2.5 million residents. The city also holds the largest port in the U.S. in foreign tonnage, two international airports, and the largest medical center in the world. In addition, more than 5,000 Houston companies are engaged in international business, and approximately 1,000 Houston firms report foreign ownership.
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Business
Nigeria-based Women Group Excels at Fidelity Bank’s International Trade and Creative Fair Debut in Houston
Houston was set agog October 24-25 when the Fidelity Bank Plc. Nigeria unveiled its premier international trade and creative fair in Houston, Texas. The just concluded event called the “Fidelity International Trade & Creative Connect” (FITCC) attracted the brightest minds and industry leaders who swapped ideas, created trade/business partnerships, and navigated the ever-evolving landscape of international trade, exports, and creative connections.
President of AWEAA, Deborah Adebisi Odeleye (Right) and treasurer, Juliet Obi. The AWE program has been rewarded heavily for its role as a U.S. government-funded exchange program in over 100 countries, empowering women entrepreneurs by equipping them with knowledge, networks, and opportunities.
Among a long list of participants, partners, exhibitors, and supporters is the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Alumnae Association (AWEAA), a Nigerian-based organization with a mission to empower and support women as they embark on their entrepreneurial journeys.
Enriched with inspiring women fellows of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program, the AWE directly supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. At a local level, AWE harnesses the power of public-private sponsors and local partnerships to help women and their businesses attain economic growth and prosperity.
Attending the FITCC event thus offers the AWEE the opportunity to explore the global market, galvanize foreign direct investments, and create avenues to expand global outreach. According to the president of the group,
According to the President of AWEAA, Deborah Adebisi Odeleye, “We pretty much knew the importance of this event. That was why we opted for full participation. For instance, we had a booth and brought in the necessary resources to showcase our activities, goals, and potential as a global entity.”
Over 15 members of the AWAEE visited from Nigeria for this event. Adebisi Odeleye said, “Our presence here is to gain access to new markets. This is critical in navigating new grounds in building women’s entrepreneurship. For us, the FITCC created the opportunity for networking with fellow entrepreneurs and potential investors, thereby expanding our horizon in accomplishing our organizational mission and objectives.”
AWE program has been rewarded heavily for its role as a U.S. government-funded exchange program in over 100 countries, empowering women entrepreneurs by equipping them with knowledge, networks, and opportunities. “Our program’s alignment with the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality underscores our values in promoting gender equality on a global scale,” Adebisi Odeleye said.
The group’s treasurer, Juliet Obi, who equally was at the FITCC event encouraged women entrepreneurs to step forward in the world of exports and intensify their economic capacity and influence. “Global markets are enthusiastic about African products, and understand the dynamics and logistics of navigating this new territory.”
The FITCC which took place at the George R. Brown (GRB) Convention Center in Houston, presented the opportunity to harness the shared synergy of the Nigerian and US economic possibilities and created a fertile structure for business development. AWAEE supports women in scaling their businesses by providing the essential support, mentorship, and opportunities necessary for expansion.
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