An executive of Axact,Umair Hamid, has pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with an international “diploma mill” scheme.
The press release of U.S. Department of Justice read ‘Hamid, 31, of Karachi, Pakistan, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison”
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Hamid is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Abrams on July 21, 2017, at 3:00 p.m.
Hamid, an executive of Axact, was arrested on Dec 19, 2016, according to a statement by former Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara. He was produced in a federal court in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, the following day.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim was quoted as saying in the US justice department in a press release said “Operating from Pakistan, Umair Hamid helped fraudulently rake in millions of dollars from unwitting American consumers who paid to enroll in, and get degrees from, high schools and colleges that did not exist. As a result of his fraud, people who thought they were investing in an education received nothing more than worthless diplomas and a harsh lesson in the worldwide reach of deceit. Together with our partners at the FBI and the Postal Service, we will continue to work to protect consumers from scams that victimize our citizens.”
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
