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Florida Man Convicted for Defrauding Hundreds of Families Over Sports Camp Tuition

The Florida man, Mehdi Belhassan, was found guilty of two counts of wire fraud for his false claims about operating a sports camp and for stealing over $500,000 from more than 300 families, using the money for personal luxuries like plastic surgery and vacations; sentencing is due on January 11.

Overview

  • Mehdi Belhassan, a man from Florida, has been convicted of defrauding over 300 families across the U.S. by falsely claiming he was running a sports camp in Boston during July and August 2019. He collected $380,000 in payments for the nonexistent camp.
  • In addition to direct payments from families, Belhassan tricked an online payment company and a commercial finance company into advancing him an extra $191,000.
  • Belhassan spent the stolen funds on personal indulgences such as plastic surgery, lavish vacations, and gambling rather than using it for the promised sports camps.
  • The deception was made worse by providing a fraudulent contract featuring the forged signature of a college administrator to the lender to secure advance payments.
  • Convicted of two counts of wire fraud, Belhassan will be sentenced on January 11, 2024, facing potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.