BOSTON — A Leominster man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to stealing more than $1.35 million by depositing a forged tax refund check and laundering the money through shell companies and a real estate transaction.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Jesse El-Ghoul, 31, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, to theft of government funds, bank fraud, and four counts of money laundering. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2026.
El-Ghoul was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 6, 2025, and was later indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.
Federal prosecutors said El-Ghoul owned and operated Affordable Motor Group in Leominster and owed back taxes related to the business.
On March 29, 2024, El-Ghoul allegedly deposited a $1,344,863 tax refund check into the company’s business bank account. The check had been issued by the U.S. Treasury to a Canadian company based on its 2021 tax return, but was allegedly forged and altered to appear payable to Affordable Motor Group, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
In the days after depositing the check, prosecutors said El-Ghoul returned to the bank and purchased 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 the theft of government funds charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, while bank fraud carries up to 30 years, and each money laundering count carries up to 20 years prison sentence, along with additional supervised release and possible fines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the case along with federal law enforcement officials, including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto is prosecuting the case, the office said.
