DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. — Federal prosecutors have charged a Michigan man with using COVID-19 relief money to buy a seaside condo in the Middle East and have accused his wife of running a pharmacy scam worth more than $10 million.
Federal prosecutors charged Wahid Makki with wire fraud and money laundering, saying he used more than $1 million in federal pandemic relief to buy a condominium in Beirut, Lebanon, The Associated Press reported.
Investigators said the COVID-19 loans were designed for small businesses struggling because of the pandemic. However, Makki got the money for 10 shell corporations. The Washington Examiner reported Makki then took the $1,082,600 and transferred it to a Turkish bank to buy the seaside property.
Makki’s wife, Zeinab Makki, was also arrested and faces charges in a $10.6 million health care fraud case, WDIV reported. Prosecutors told the station Makki is responsible for claims for drugs that were never actually dispensed. Makki was working as a pharmacist when she allegedly committed the crimes.
“Makki allegedly engaged in a health care fraud scheme that stole millions of dollars over several years from a system designed to provide healthcare to those in need,” Josh Hauxhurst, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit division, told The Washington Examiner. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to stop these illegal acts and hold accountable those who commit them.”
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