Disgraced Porsche dealership employee Shiraaz Sookralli is back in the news as a federal judge has sentenced him to six and a half years in prison.
According to the court records seen by the Sun Sentinel, Sookralli was heavily indebted and owned more than $176,000 on credit cards in 2016.
That’s a staggering amount of credit card debt and it appears Sookralli’s money problems caused him to concoct a scheme were he would direct customers of Champion Porsche to make deposits into bank accounts he controlled. These accounts resembled the ones used by the dealership, so customers were none the wiser.
To further cover his crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said “Sookralli typically provided the customers with signed false and fraudulent purchase orders, sham vehicle build sheets showing the specifications of the customers’ vehicle, as well as other false and fraudulent documents.”
Also Read: A Porsche Dealership Employee Reportedly Bilked Customers Out Of $2.5 Million
Instead of using the money to fulfill orders, Sookralli allegedly decided to live an “extravagant and opulent lifestyle” paid by over 30 customers who gave him more than $3 (£2.3 / €2.7) million in deposits. So what did he do with all the money? Blow it on nightclubs, jewelry, restaurants and a Rolls Royce.
Sookralli was apparently obsessed with nightclubs as the father of ten is believed to have spent nearly $1 million (£771,785 / €921,910) partying at them. Even Sookralli’s defense attorney acknowledged his love of the nightlife as he reportedly said his client “had his own song when he walked into a nightclub” – We are the Champions.
Of course, things went awry when customers started wondering where their cars were. This revealed Sookralli’s scheme and he vanished.
Sookralli was eventually arrested in 2019 and plead guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The Sun Sentinel also notes the plea revealed he was embezzling money from the dealership even before he started stealing customer deposits.
In the end, the judge wasn’t happy with Sookralli’s conduct as he sentenced the former dealership employee to more prison time than prosecutors requested. An attorney for the dealership suggested the harsh sentence could have been the result of photos showing Sookralli having $3,000 (£2,315 / €2,766) tires installed on his Rolls Royce while he was out on bond.
While there are no winners here, the dealership refunded all the customers affected by Sookralli’s crimes. Unfortunately, their attorney says they haven’t seen a dime from their former employee.
Thanks to James137a for the tip!