A West Hollywood resident who is the former son-in-law of Paul Manafort has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for defrauding investors, lenders, friends and family members out of approximately $6.7 million through scams he perpetrated while free on bond after pleading guilty in a prior federal fraud case.
Jeffrey Craig Yohai, 37, was sentenced on Nov. 8 by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who described the defendant as “an individual who has an evil mind.” Birotte also ordered Yohai to pay $6.7 million in restitution to victims.
Yohai pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, stemming from two separate cases. The first case, which resulted in a guilty plea in February 2018, involved more than $6 million in real estate loans and investments that Yohai claimed would be used to purchase and rehabilitate properties in the Hollywood Hills and New York City. Yohai defaulted on the loans and the properties went into foreclosure, which Yohai tried to delay by filing bankruptcy.
While awaiting sentencing in the first federal case, Yohai committed a second loan fraud scheme related to two of the properties in the initial federal case. In that case, which resulted in a guilty plea in June 2019, Yohai sought a loan based on inflated appraisals. He also attempted to defraud another lender as he attempted to refinance the two properties. That effort that was unsuccessful, as the third lender learned of Yohai’s guilty plea earlier this year.
Yohai also defrauded the owner of a rental property and attempted to convince the owner by showing him a $60,000 check he falsely claimed was from the account of his ex-wife, Manafort’s daughter. Other frauds included in the criminal complaint include a scam in which he sold non-existent artist passes to a music festival in Coachella.
Yohai has been in federal custody since last November.
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