By Shawn Henry 
A Tampa car dealer has been sentenced to federal prison after investigators determined he used his position in the automotive industry to carry out a large-scale fraud scheme involving fake vehicle loans and an attempted export of a stolen Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Mohamad Jihad Fakih, 27, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and attempting to export a stolen motor vehicle. The sentence was imposed by U.S. Senior District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington following Fakih’s conviction on August 21, 2025.
Authorities reported that Fakih used his access to dealership systems and automotive financing platforms to submit fraudulent loan applications tied to vehicles that did not exist. Federal prosecutors said the scheme involved identifying individuals willing to act as straw purchasers while paperwork was submitted to financing companies claiming legitimate vehicle sales. Once those applications were approved, the loan funds were sent directly to Fakih as the supposed vehicle seller, allowing him to collect the payments before distributing portions of the money to co-conspirators involved in the operation.
Investigators determined that the fraud operation targeted automotive financing companies that relied on dealership documentation to approve vehicle loans. Fakih allegedly used dealership websites and internal access to make the applications appear legitimate. According to court records, the falsified documents listed vehicles that were never actually sold or delivered to the straw purchasers named in the loan paperwork.
Once financing companies issued the funds, the money was wired to Fakih as payment for the fabricated vehicle sales. Authorities said Fakih then divided the proceeds among individuals involved in the scheme. The operation allowed him and his accomplices to collect financing payouts tied to vehicles that did not exist, creating significant losses for the lenders who approved the loans.
Federal investigators reported that the scheme involved at least six vehicles and resulted in losses totaling more than $372,000. The court ultimately ordered Fakih to forfeit $378,886.96, representing the proceeds obtained through the fraudulent activity. That amount reflects the financial damage tied directly to the fraudulent loan transactions uncovered during the investigation.
The fraud scheme also extended beyond loan applications. Authorities said Fakih attempted to increase the payout by filing false insurance claims connected to the nonexistent vehicles. Those claims involved reports that vehicles listed in the loan applications had been stolen, even though the cars had never been purchased or delivered in the first place.
Investigators determined that these false reports were designed to trigger insurance payouts tied to the phantom vehicles. By claiming the nonexistent cars had been stolen, Fakih attempted to generate additional financial gains through insurance reimbursements. Federal authorities said the fraudulent claims were part of the broader effort to extract as much money as possible from financial institutions connected to the transactions.
In addition to the financial fraud operation, prosecutors said Fakih was involved in a separate attempt to export a stolen luxury vehicle from the United States. That effort involved a Rolls-Royce Cullinan sport utility vehicle valued at approximately $460,000. According to investigators, Fakih used another straw purchaser to obtain the vehicle before attempting to move it overseas through a port shipment.
Authorities reported that the Rolls-Royce Cullinan had already been tied to financing obligations at the time of the export attempt. The vehicle was reportedly placed inside a shipping container and scheduled for transport through the Port of Savannah. Investigators said shipping paperwork connected to the container was falsified to conceal the true contents of the shipment.
Federal authorities determined that the altered shipping documentation was intended to prevent law enforcement from identifying the luxury SUV inside the container. The plan involved moving the Rolls-Royce overseas before financial institutions or investigators could intervene. However, the attempt to move the vehicle out of the country did not succeed.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted the shipment before it could leave the port. During the inspection process, officials discovered the Rolls-Royce Cullinan concealed inside the container and identified it as a stolen vehicle connected to the fraud investigation. The interception prevented the SUV from being exported and allowed authorities to recover the high-value vehicle.
Investigators concluded that the attempted export was part of the same pattern of conduct seen in the fraudulent loan scheme. According to federal authorities, the plan involved exploiting financing systems, dealership access, and shipping channels to move vehicles and money through fraudulent means. The combination of wire fraud and attempted vehicle export formed the basis for the charges brought against Fakih.
The criminal case was prosecuted by federal authorities after investigators assembled financial records, shipping documentation, and loan applications tied to the transactions. Court documents outlined how the scheme relied on falsified paperwork, financial transfers, and straw purchasers to conceal the fraudulent nature of the transactions. Those records formed the foundation of the charges that ultimately led to Fakih’s conviction.
Following the conviction, the court imposed a prison sentence of four and a half years and ordered the forfeiture of all proceeds connected to the fraud scheme. The forfeiture amount of $378,886.96 represents the funds federal investigators determined Fakih obtained through the illegal activities. Authorities said the forfeiture order ensures that the profits generated by the scheme are returned as part of the sentencing process.
The attempted export of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan also played a significant role in the final sentencing. Federal investigators identified the vehicle as a stolen luxury SUV valued at roughly $460,000, making the attempted shipment a major component of the case. The interception by U.S. Customs and Border Protection prevented the vehicle from leaving the country and allowed authorities to secure critical evidence tied to the investigation.
With the sentencing now complete, Fakih will serve his federal prison term following the conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and attempting to export a stolen motor vehicle. Federal prosecutors confirmed that the case concluded with the forfeiture order and prison sentence imposed by the court. Fakih now faces incarceration as the legal consequences for the fraud scheme and the attempted export of the stolen Rolls-Royce Cullinan move forward under the federal judgment.
Source
John Lloyd