Mass. man forged a $1.3 million tax refund check, feds say

A Leominster man allegedly forged a tax refund check for over $1.3 million and then paid large sums to shell companies using cashier’s checks to launder the money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Jesse El-Ghoul, 31, allegedly deposited the check for $1,344,863 into the account for his business, Affordable Motor Group in Leominster, on March 29, 2024.

El-Ghoul owed back taxes on his business and forged a check from the U.S. Treasury to a Canadian company to be payable to his business, authorities said.

After depositing the check, El-Ghoul allegedly purchased four cashier’s checks in the following days in the amounts of $235,280, $223,591, $202,643, and $425,000. The cashier’s checks were payable to shell companies and a law firm that was connected to a third-party real estate transaction, according to officials.

El-Ghoul was arrested on June 6 and indicted last Thursday on charges of theft of government funds and bank fraud, as well as four counts of money laundering.

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