Charlotte business owner Rami Mahmod Mhana, 46, was handed a 68-month prison sentence for selling iPhones that he knew were stolen or fraudulently obtained. The phones were sold to international buyers, primarily in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. Following his prison term, Mhana will be on supervised release for three years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement.
As detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Mhana, the owner of Wireless City Fashions, Inc., and Protocol Business Group Inc., along with several Boost mobile stores in the Charlotte area, was involved in the scheme from May 2017 through October 2019. In the scheme, known locally as "boosters", they were involved in stealing electronic devices and selling them to Mhana's stores. The trial evidence showed that these devices were then passed to overseas buyers for profit. Acting as a fence, his Bradford Drive store became a hub for these transactions, providing employees with a price list for how much to pay for the devices, which was notably less than their retail value.
In addition to his prison sentence, Mhana has been ordered to pay a hefty sum of $3,649,033 in restitution and to forfeit both $229,118 in criminal gains and over 100 new-in-the-box iPhones seized during the investigation. Mhana's sentencing was part of a larger effort by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and the United States Secret Service to tackle organized crime in the area. During the same span of time, two other Charlotte businessmen were sentenced for their roles in a similar scheme.
CMPD and the Secret Service are working together to tackle organized retail crime, which harms the community. U.S. Attorney Dena J. King praised their success in using both federal and local expertise. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael E. Savage, William Bozin, and Benjamin Bain-Creed were recognized for prosecuting the case and securing justice for the victims.
