U.S. Arrests Five Fugitives, Including Nigerian, In €300 Million German Fraud Case

The United States has arrested five individuals including a Nigerian national allegedly linked to a sophisticated international fraud network accused of defrauding thousands of victims of more than €300 million in Germany.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the arrests were executed in the Central District of California at the request of the German government, which has initiated formal extradition proceedings for the suspects.

Those arrested were identified as Medhat Mourid, 62, of Woodland Hills; Andrew Garroni, 57, of Los Angeles; Guy Mizrachi, 49, of Agoura Hills; Ardeshir Akhavan, 55, of Irvine; and Tunde Benak, 46, also of Irvine, California.

German prosecutors allege that the suspects operated an elaborate online investment fraud scheme, using fake trading platforms to lure unsuspecting investors with promises of high returns in cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, and commodities markets. Victims reportedly deposited funds into what they believed were legitimate trading accounts, only to find that the platforms were entirely fictitious.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the network spanned multiple countries, with operational cells in the United States, Israel, Cyprus, and several European nations. Law enforcement agencies from Germany, the United States, and Europol collaborated in what has been described as one of the most complex cross-border financial crime operations in recent years.

If extradited and convicted in Germany, the suspects could face lengthy prison sentences under that country’s fraud and money laundering statutes.

The arrests mark a major breakthrough in international efforts to dismantle cyber-enabled financial crime networks that have victimized tens of thousands across Europe and beyond.