A New York court on Friday sentenced Queens-based Guyanese businessman Edul Ahmad to two years in jail for conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud, reported the New York Daily News.
The sentence was handed down by Brooklyn Federal Judge Dora Irizarry. The Leonora, West Coast Demerara- born Ahmad had pleaded guilty in 2012, in a New York court, to mortgage fraud conspiracy and was looking at a sentence of 10 years, with US$15 million in fines and restitution.
Brooklyn Federal Judge Dora Irizarry
However, he became a key witness against his colleague, former New York State Senator John Sampson. In January, Sampson, who has roots in Guyana, was jailed for five years by Judge Irizarry for obstruction of justice and making false statements. That sentencing paved the way for Ahmad to be sentenced on real estate fraud charges filed against him in 2011 by New York prosecutors for the US$3 million mortgage fraud scheme.
The US-based Guyanese businessman was supposed to have been sentenced since 2015, but appealed to the New York court several times, successfully, to delay the ruling until after Sampson would have been sentenced.
Ahmad was a key witness in the 2015 trial against Sampson, which ended with obstruction of justice convictions but acquittals on other counts. And before Ahmad took the stand for at least half of the prosecution’s case, he wore wires and turned over evidence that helped the Feds build the case against Sampson. Sampson is appealing his conviction.
Convicted fraudster Edul Ahmad
However, Ahmad was hopeful that by offering his services to the FBI, he would not have to go to prison, but would receive lighter punishment for cooperating.
Despite Ahmad being an asset in the Feds’ case against ex-State Senator Sampson, the Daily News reported that the US District Judge could not ignore the harm caused by his US$3 million scheme.
She laid into Ahmad for a property sale that, she said, broke the terms of his cooperation agreement. “To me, it does not show full remorse. It does show someone who feels he’s ready to do what he needs to do, laws be damned, rules be damned,” the Brooklyn Judge was reported to have said.
While it was not the probation sentence Ahmad, 50, was looking for, it also was not the six-seven-year prison term he could have received.
Prosecutors said Ahmad’s work earned him a shot at a sentence below federal recommendations. In fact, during Friday’s sentence hearing, Assistant US Attorney Alexander Solomon told Irizarry that Ahmad’s cooperation was “impressive”, once he started talking, the New York newspaper reported that.
Ahmad was “one of the best at making recordings”, he said — Sampson often talked quietly, so Ahmad repeated what he said so it would be loud and clear for Uncle Sam.
Solomon noted, however, that Ahmad did make some serious flubs — like telling prosecutors the night before his testimony about the improper sale of a property discussed in the cooperation agreement.
Irizzary in handing down the sentence questioned just how useful Ahmad was on the stand, pointing to articles in newspapers such as the Daily News, where a juror called him “dirty”.
Ahmad’s lawyer, Samuel Kartagener, said he was “taken aback” by Irizzary’s views. He urged the Judge to take the good with the bad.
Ahmad told Irizzary he meant no harm with the deal — which was an effort to stop a foreclosure on a property.
But Irizarry was not buying that Ahmad – a sophisticated, onetime Lamborghini-driving businessman – did not know what he was doing. “You knew you had to disclose to the Government if there was any transaction on a property.”
It was a lapse in judgment, justified Ahmad, adding “I never meant to break the cooperation agreement.”
After sentencing, Ahmad declined to speak to reporters. Kartagener said he and his client were “disappointed with the result”. (Adapted from New York Daily News)
