US grand jury indicts Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed for fraud, money laundering

Just over a month after leading his newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party to become the main opposition party in the National Assembly, businessman Azruddin Mohamed, has been indicted by a United States grand jury on several fraud-related charges.

US authorities said that Mohamed and his businessman father Nazar Shell Mohamed have been charged with wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car.

If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June last year, could  separately face a maximum of 20 years on each count, as well as maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250 000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

On the charges of wire fraud, the politician businessman could also be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and maximum supervised release of three years and a fine of US$250 000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

The Grand Jury is also seeking a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a fine of US$500 000 or the value of the property involved in the transaction for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The US is also asking the court that “upon

conviction… as alleged in this Indictment”, the defendants “shall forfeit to the United States any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to such offense.”

The indictment states that the property directly subject to forfeiture as a result of the alleged offences includes, but is not limited to, the following: a shipment containing approximately US$5.3 million in gold bars shipped from Guyana by Mohamad’s Enterprise seized at Miami International Airport on June 11, 2024.

The unsealed indictment states that in the case of Azruddin Mohamed, from in or around 2017, and continuing through on or about June 11 , 2024, in Miami-Dade County in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants, did knowingly, and with the intent to further the objects of the conspiracy, combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offences against the United States.

The indictment states that the purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves and defraud the government of Guyana in connection with taxes and royalties owed. (CMC)