Former Covington Resident Charged with Wire Fraud and Conspiracy

BILAL AHMED, a/k/a “Bill,” (41), formerly of Covington, was charged February 2 in a three count Indictment charging him with two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

AHMED is charged with devising a scheme to defraud others which he posed as a wealthy individual who stood to received millions of dollars, including from his native country of Pakistan. AHMED presented false documents to others resulting in wirings totalling $70,000 to be made in interstate commerce.

If convicted, AHMED faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for each of the wire fraud counts, and a five-year term of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge. He also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release, and restitution.

U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that the Indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilty of the defendant must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt

U.S. Attorney Polite commended special agents of Homeland Security Investigations and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, who investigated the case.