Home Jacksonville Press Releases 2009 Miami Man Sentenced to 109 Months’ Imprisonment for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft
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Miami Man Sentenced to 109 Months’ Imprisonment for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

U.S. Attorney’s Office August 17, 2009
  • Northern District of Florida (850) 942-8430

TALLAHASSEE—Thomas F. Kirwin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced that Ali Hammoud (36) was sentenced in Tallahassee to 109 months’ imprisonment for engaging in a scheme to defraud the State of Florida of approximately $5.7 million in state funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1028A.

In August 2008, Hammoud was charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in an indictment alleging that he fraudulently caused state funds intended as payment to state vendor, Anderson Columbia Construction Co., to be diverted to and deposited in bank accounts controlled by Hammoud. The indictment alleges that between June and July 2008, Hammoud caused a fraudulent payment authorization form to be submitted to the Florida Division of Financial Services changing the direct deposit account information from Anderson Columbia’s actual account at Wachovia Bank, to Regions Bank accounts controlled by Hammoud. The fraudulent payment authorization was submitted along with a fictitious letter, drafted on what appeared to be Regions Bank stationery, authorizing the change. Based upon Hammoud’s unauthorized use of the name of an Anderson Columbia employee on the fictitious letter and payment authorization form, Hammoud was charged with aggravated identity theft. Between July 21 and 22, 2008, approximately $5.7 million in state monies intended as payments to Anderson Columbia were electronically deposited into Regions Bank accounts controlled by Hammoud. Within 48 hours of these deposits, Hammoud withdrew and attempted to withdraw, via wire transfers, checks, and other means, approximately $3.9 million from the Regions Bank accounts. Hammoud was arrested on July 24, 2008, while attempting to board a flight to Beirut, Lebanon.

On March 18, 2009, Hammoud pled guilty to each of the five counts of the indictment. At a sentencing hearing today before the Honorable Stephan P. Mickle, Hammoud was sentenced to 85 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud, to be followed by a consecutive sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment for aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered to pay $5,700.351.65 in restitution to the state of Florida, and $9,975.50 in restitution to a south Florida jewelry store.

United States Attorney Kirwin commended the diligent efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Florida Division of Financial Services whose joint investigation led to the conviction in this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Coody.

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