WI Jury Convicts Men Of Defrauding Government Agencies, Lenders

MILWAUKEE — A federal jury in Wisconsin agreed to convict four men in schemes to defraud funds from various federal and state government programs and private lenders. Three of the defendants were found guilty of targeting the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles in one of their schemes.

Aziz Bey, Minister Zakar Ali, Letez Osiris Bey, and Divine-Seven El were found guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 1 and face up to 20 years in federal prison plus up to five years of supervised release.

Aziz Bey, Ali, and El worked to defraud lenders by submitting false information to the Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles to remove liens that lenders held on vehicles, including a Land Rover, a BMW, and a Corvette, prosecutors said.

The three men were then able to keep or sell the vehicles without repaying the outstanding loans, authorities said.

The defendants also schemed to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration, various state workforce agencies, and private lenders, according to investigators.

"The jury’s verdict reflects the fact these defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers across the country," said U.S. Attorney Haanstad.

"In addition to fraud targeting private businesses, they sought to take unlawful advantage of programs meant to help individuals, businesses, and the entire economy survive the impact of the pandemic. I commend the hard work and relentless efforts of everyone involved in pursuing justice in this case."