Federal authorities have accused a Middle Eastern man of illegally living in Pittsburgh, misusing visas and providing a false name among other related offenses.
Mahmoud Almasry, 44, also known as Mohammad Jiham, had been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and aggravated identify theft, federal authorities announced Friday.
According to the indictment, Almasry assumed the identity of a deceased man to fraudulently gain entry into the United States in 2016 and continued to use that person’s name for the next decade.
Federal documents indicate Almasry used the name Mohammad Jiham when applying for refuge status in July 2016.
Authorities said Jiham was the name of Almasry’s wife’s first husband. Jiham was dead when Almasry assumed Jiham’s identity to get in to the United States.
Federal documents state…
MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.