U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced charges against Talib Hussain, 74, and Mirza Khan, 46, both residents of Pittsford, NY. The charges include bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire explained that since January 2015, several financial institutions including JP Morgan Chase and American Express have reported fraudulent credit card activities in the Rochester area. Many newly issued credit cards were used up to their limits without any valid payments made on the accounts.
The investigation revealed that these credit cards were linked through synthetic identities created using real social security numbers combined with false names and birth dates. These identities were then used to obtain lines of credit for fraudulent purchases until the credit limits were reached. Some cards were also used to pay property taxes and utility bills for properties in Rochester.
Three properties involved in these transactions are Lucky Beverage on Norton Street, Chili Express on Chili Avenue, and Easy Food Market on Plymouth Avenue. Between 2016 and 2022, about $163,000 was paid using 32 different fraudulent credit cards for property tax payments related to these locations. It was found that Mirza Khan owns Lucky Beverage and Chili Express while his father Talib Hussain owns Easy Food Market.
The complaint is part of an investigation conducted by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation New York under Harry Chavis; U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division under Inspector Ketty Larco-Ward; and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General under Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly.
It is important to note that charges are accusations at this stage, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
