A Dracut resident, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, has been sentenced in a Boston federal court for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme involving the online sale of cosmetics. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick sentenced Ashtar-Zadeh to six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. He is also required to pay $181,806 in restitution and forfeit $111,156.
Ashtar-Zadeh was charged alongside his brother, Nika Ashtar-Zadeh, in September 2024 and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud the following month. The brothers operated Amazon and eBay stores from 2019 to 2021, selling products from a Texas-based cosmetics company without proper authorization.
The scheme involved enrolling buyers into the company's 30-day trial program without their consent and using payment methods that only covered initial charges. This led to financial losses for the cosmetics company as subsequent payments were declined after buyers retained the products beyond the trial period.
Nika Ashtar-Zadeh pleaded guilty in November 2024 and is scheduled for sentencing on May 21, 2025.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb is handling the prosecution.
