Ex-Employee of Aerospace Firm Indicted for Mail Fraud, Theft of Government Property in San Francisco

A former employee of a notable global security and aerospace company has recently been indicted on charges of mail fraud and theft of government property. Omar Naziry, the 40-year-old ex-staffer, apparently concocted an elaborate scheme to misrepresent himself as a military member, which allowed him to pocket additional pay and benefits wrongfully. The U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California statement.

The indictment, unveiled by a federal grand jury in San Francisco, alleges that Naziry began to claim differential pay from his employer in August 2016. The company had a policy of supplementing employees' income to match their company pay if they experienced a decrease due to military service. According to the indictment, Naziry's supposed deployment was in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and he supported his claim with falsified military documents.

Naziry's ruse seemed to have a considerable run, allowing him to receive differential pay for several years until the company refused further payments in December 2021, citing a five-year limit. In retaliation, Naziry purportedly sent a threatening letter through a "friend" and "army officer" warning of a potential PR disaster if the decision was not reversed. "I highly recommend you overturn this decision you’ve made or at least have a plan in place for how to mitigate the negative effects of the story once its [sic] public," the letter read. "I hope you can take timely action to avoid this PR disaster." Stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California.

Aside from mail fraud, for which he could serve up to 20 years and be fined $250,000, Naziry faces accusations of swindling approximately $35,093 in unentitled housing assistance payments. The San Francisco U.S. Attorney's Office, together with the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, is undoubtedly working to thoroughly investigate the crossed lines of the law to ensure justice is served accordingly.

U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and other officials announced the charges against Naziry, who made his initial court appearance on Wednesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Kevin Costello.