BOSTON — A Leominster man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly stealing more than $1.35 million by depositing a forged tax refund check and laundering the funds through cashier’s checks made out to shell companies.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, 31-year-old Jesse El-Ghoul, who was arrested on June 6, 2025 and charged by criminal complaint, was indicted on one count of theft of government funds, one count of bank fraud and four counts of money laundering.
According to charging documents, El-Ghoul owned and operated Affordable Motor Group in Leominster, Mass., and owed back taxes on his business. On March 29, 2024, he allegedly deposited a $1,344,863 tax refund check—originally issued by the U.S. Treasury to a Canadian company based on its 2021 tax return—into his business account after it had been forged and altered to appear payable to Affordable Motor Group.
“In the days after depositing the check, El-Ghoul returned to the bank and bought cashier’s checks for $235,280, $223,591, $202,643, and $425,000 payable to shell companies and to a law firm in connection with a third-party real estate transaction, in eastern Massachusetts,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in its statement.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the charge of theft of government funds is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bank fraud carries up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Each money laundering charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, whichever is greater.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges today along with officials from the FBI, IRS, Treasury Inspector General’s Office, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil is prosecuting the case.
