Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Summer camp operator who defrauded hundreds of families sentenced to prison
Mehdi Belhassan, 53, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
A summer camp operator who defrauded hundreds of families when he claimed to be operating a program in Boston will serve 30 months in prison.
Mehdi Belhassan, 53, of Tampa, Fla., was sentenced Monday, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office. In addition to the 30 months in prison, he was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $575,427 in restitution and forfeit $443,346. He was convicted in an October trial of two counts of wire fraud.
Prosecutors said that, in the fall of 2018, Belhassan claimed he would operate his annual MB Sports Camps at a Boston-area college, despite the city telling him he could not operate his camp in Boston because he lacked the necessary permits.
Advertisement:
“However, Belhassan continued to promote the camp and collect funds,” Levy’s office said in a statement.
According to prosecutors, Belhassan defrauded more than 300 families. He also defrauded a financing company to obtain funding for his alleged camp, using the forged signature of a college administrator on a fraudulent contract to do so.
Belhassan used the funds for the camp to fly to Las Vegas where he gambled and spent the money on hotels and entertainment, according to Levy’s office.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com