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A Pleasanton husband and wife who ran a chain of convenience stores in Northern California have been sentenced in federal court in San Francisco for crimes uncovered in a loan fraud investigation.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello said the prosecution of Ashraf Ali, 55, and his wife, Yasmin Ali, 52, stemmed from a probe of false loan applications for loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Russoniello said Ashraf Ali organized a scheme with other store owners and partners to submit $4.4 million worth of false loan applications between 1998 and 2003.
Ashraf Ali was convicted of conspiring to make false statements to influence banks and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel last week to 13 months in prison. Patel also ordered him to pay a fine of $1.2 million.
In separate case, Yasmin Ali was convicted of harboring 24 undocumented foreign citizens who worked at the stores owned and controlled by the couple.
She was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton last week to six months of house arrest, three years of probation, 150 hours of community service and a $100,000 fine.
Russoniello said 12 other people have been sentenced to probation and given fines for convictions for money laundering, making false statements to the Small Business Administration or to banks, or employing unauthorized individuals.
He said all the defendants have lost their state liquor sales licenses and have agreed to repay the Small Business Administration loans. More than $4 million has already been repaid, he said.
Russoniello said the case was the most extensive loan fraud scheme ever detected by the Small Business Administration in the western United States.
Julia Cheever, Bay City News
Julia Cheever, Bay City News
Just curious, did they operate a business in Pleasanton?
It seems that the punishments are insufficient to deter others. Also, nothing was said about the deportation; I may be wrong, but it seemed that the names and the activities are those of immigrants.
The crimes outlined here are not just to the theft of government funds; it also includes crimes against other business and citizens trying to earn an honest living.
Punishments like this would tend to encourage more crimes of the same.
How ignornant. Just because they have ‘different sounding’ names they must be immigrants – unbelievable. Do you actually even know what an immigrant is? Just goes to show how narrow minded people are. With all this other fraud going on half of wall street should be deported according to you, or is it that not the case because their names are more conventional according to you and they have the ‘right’ skin color also according to the comments in your post.
I realize this is just a BCN news service story, but the reporter didn’t even bother to mention the name of the chain of stores??? Shoddy journalism.
I think they got off lucky. I also agree that others would chance this if they could get away with it for as long as these people did considering he judgement. I also feel they should be deported if they are not natural born citizens and if not, Never be able to own or operate a business in the USA.
Busted!…hahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahaha…
The hubby will get his in prison…hahahahahahahahahahahah…
As for yasmin…she is a HE…Busted! hahahahahahahahaha…
No need to deport them, they are here legally.
Cholo is funny. i like reading his comments!
Kids in our schools are given more community service for misbehaving.
Even if they are legalized citizens they should lose their citizenship for abusing the opportunity given to them by this country!!!
sammy…it doesn’t work that way.
in other words sammy, go back to where you came from!
otherwise, please just plain ole shut up!
nobody in america likes you sammy…hahahahahahahahahah…
Cholo… always the fool……..
Climb back under your bridge.
CTrool…where have you been? I been had much fun, Happy New Year CT!
HOORAY!!!
HOW DOES A TROLL CLIMB UNDER A BRIDGE….HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!