(Politico)
JOSH GERSTEIN 11/08/2019 11:47 PM
Paul Manafort’s former son-in-law was sentenced to more than nine years in prison Friday for a wide-ranging series of fraud schemes the court said bilked victims out of more than $6 million.
As District Judge André Birotte Jr. imposed the sentence of nine years and two months on Jeffrey Yohai, the judge blasted the would-be real estate developer as a serial scammer whose “horrific” crimes posed a significant threat to the public, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said.
Birotte said Yohai’s fraud spree demonstrated “sophistication,” an “evil mind,” and a belief that he “could do anything he wanted,” the spokesman said.
Yohai pleaded guilty to a array of brazen frauds, including renting out luxury homes without the permission of their owners, selling nonexistent backstage passes for the Coachella music festival, and pawning band equipment that belonged to someone else.
Among those swindled by Yohai is the award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman and Guy Aroch, a prominent photographer, both of whom invested millions in real estate deals with Yohai.
Some of Yohai’s frauds were carried out while he was on bond after pleading guilty in a real estate fraud case nearly two years ago.
Comments