Former Professor in Louisiana Sentenced to Prison for Mail Fraud and Money Laundering After Living as a Fugitive Abroad

Louisiana – On August 4, 2022, United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Parviz Sharifrazi, age 70, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 24 months in federal prison following his convictions for mail fraud and money laundering. The Court further sentenced Sharifrazi to serve one year of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

A federal criminal probe that began years ago resulted in the sentencing. Sharifrazi was an associate professor at Southern University (“Southern”) in 2008 and 2009, while also trying to acquire funds for a separate business endeavor in Iran. Beginning in 2008, he and a co-defendant, the Information Technologies (IT) Director at Southern’s College of Engineering, devised a scheme to defraud Southern by submitting fraudulent equipment quotes in the names of fictitious vendors and convincing Southern to approve the quotes, all while concealing their involvement in the scheme.

In order to carry out the scheme, Sharifrazi’s co-defendant would create fraudulent computer equipment purchase requests, generate fraudulent quotes for the equipment in the names of shell companies he and Sharifrazi had created, and then submit the fraudulent quotes to Southern’s purchasing department and have them approved. Meanwhile, Sharifrazi induced others to sign up for mail forwarding services at private postal facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, Beaverton, Oregon, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he exploited these mailboxes to defraud Southern. Sharifrazi and his co-defendant were able to disguise the false nature of the purchase requests and quotes, as well as the fact that they were benefitting from the scheme, by using shell companies, out-of-state postal addresses, and other methods.

Between April and November 2008, Sharifrazi and his co-defendant caused Southern to issue 14 checks totaling more than $150,000 to their shell firms and sent the checks to the out-of-state mailboxes that they had opened. Then, as the defendants gained control of the funds, Sharifrazi would conduct additional monetary transactions and launder the proceeds of the scheme, such as transferring proceeds from the scheme into another bank account that he and a family member opened in the name of a Denham Springs restaurant.

Sharifrazi was charged with murder in 2011. He had fled Southern and was now residing in Iran. The defendant remained a fugitive for more than a decade after being approached by federal law enforcement agents and learning that the court had issued an arrest order for him. He lived in Iran for many years before relocating to Turkey. In the middle of 2021, the defendant met with FBI investigators in Turkey and promised to return to the United States to bear responsibility for his actions. Sharifrazi pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering earlier this year, admitting his involvement in the fraudulent plan detailed above.

Sharifrazi’s co-defendant pled guilty in 2010 and has completed his sentence, which included both incarceration and reparations to Southern University.

U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “This prosecution demonstrates that neither time nor distance shall deter the federal government and our partners from obtaining justice. I want to thank our prosecutors and the federal and state law enforcement agencies who made this result possible.”

“This sentencing demonstrates the steadfast work of the FBI and our partners in bringing to justice individuals like former Southern University Professor Parviz Sharifraz, who engaged in fraudulent schemes that grossly impacted Southern University,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. “We thank our partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General for their collaborative efforts to identify, investigate, and bring to justice criminals who seek to harm American universities through fraud and deceit.”

“Today’s sentencing exemplifies the patience and long arm of the law in its pursuit of financial fraud and money laundering violations,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI’s Atlanta Field Office. “Mr. Parviz Shafrazi perpetuated an elaborate scheme driven by his insatiable greed and a blatant disregard for the tremendous damage inflicted on Southern University and its students. Be assured that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with our federal partners, will hold those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable.”

Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Justice for Mr. Sharifrazi has been delayed for well over a decade because of his deliberate choice to remain out of the country rather than face the music for his crimes. Today’s sentencing at last brings closure and consequences for a carefully devised criminal scheme to defraud the institution of higher learning at which Mr. Sharifrazi was employed. It also hopefully sends the message that the wheels of justice may sometimes turn slowly, but they do indeed turn. No matter how long it may take, the Louisiana OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue public corruption in all of its forms.” Street added, “I want to commend United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff, as well as our partners at the FBI, IRS, and Department of Education OIG for another successful outcome.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case, with important support from the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case.