A Massachusetts man is facing decades behind bars after stealing more than $1.3 million from the United States government using forged checks.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) says 31-year-old Leominster resident Jesse El-Ghoul has pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds, one count of bank fraud and four counts of money laundering for running a forged tax refund scheme.
[adinserter block="1"]Prosecutors say that on March 29th, 2024, El-Ghoul deposited a tax refund check for $1.344 million into his Affordable Motor Group business account.
Court filings show that the Treasury Department originally issued the check in question to a Canadian firm based on its 2021 tax return.
El-Ghoul altered and forged the check to make it payable to Affordable Motor Group, a business that he owned and operated. The DOJ also says that El-Ghoul owed back taxes for the business.
In the days following the fraudulent deposit, El-Ghoul returned to the bank and purchased multiple cashier’s checks for $235,280, $223,591, $202,643 and $425,000. El-Ghoul made the checks payable to shell companies and to a law firm in connection with a third-party real estate transaction in eastern Massachusetts in an effort to launder the funds.
El-Ghoul was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2025 and was later indicted by a federal grand jury in August of last year. He is slated for sentencing on April 16th, 2026.
Says the DOJ,
“The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of money involved in the laundering transactions, whichever is greater.”
Follow us on X, Facebook and TelegramDon't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any assets including cryptocurrencies, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Generated Image: Midjourney
