An Edinburgh businessman who was on the FBI's Most Wanted list for carrying out a luxury car fraud has been ordered to pay his victims almost £3million in compensation.
Afzal Khan fled the US and spent more than five years on the run after being accused of conning a string of customers and financial firms at a motor dealership he ran in New Jersey.
The 41-year-old, originally from the capital, handed himself into authorities in the United Arab Emirates in February 2020 and was flown back to the States. He admitted a massive fraud involving supercars - including Lamborghinis, Porsches and Rolls Royces - and was sentenced to two years in prison last September.
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He has now been told he must repay £2.8million to around 50 victims following a restitution hearing at the US District Court of New Jersey. The flamboyant businessman, known to his clients as 'Bobby', opened the Emporio Motor Group in New Jersey in 2013 and maintained a high profile.
He appeared on US reality series 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' and counted members of the show's cast among his clients. The court heard he obtained loans from a bank for cars that he never delivered, but for which the purchaser was still responsible.
He also received loans for cars that were delivered, but for which neither he nor Emporio had title documents. As a result, the purchasers of these cars were liable for the loan, but could not register the vehicles. Khan also offered to sell cars for customers, and then neither returned the cars nor provided any money from car sales.
The offences took place between December 2013 and September 2014. Khan was born in Edinburgh to Pakistani parents and moved to the US more than 20 years ago. Police and the FBI attempted to arrest him at his New Jersey home in October, 2014, but could not locate him.
He was placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted 'white collar criminals' list. In a written ruling, Judge William J Martini said: "Pursuant to the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, the Government requests restitution for losses incurred by approximately 50 of defendant Afzal Khan and Emporio Motor Group LLC's fraud victims.
"Khan was the owner and president of Emporio Motor Group, a car dealership in New Jersey that purchased and sold high-end and other vehicles. Through Emporio Motor Group, Khan defrauded both individuals and entities. On August 19, 2020, Khan pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud. Defendant was sentenced on September 7, 2022 to a 24 month term of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
"As to restitution claims for which defendant has not made any specific objections or provided any credible evidence to overcome the prima facie case of loss established through the sworn Victim Statements, restitution should be awarded."
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