A federal judge in Central Islip has dismissed a lawsuit accusing the New York Racing Association of defrauding a pandemic relief program of millions of dollars.
U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee said the men who brought the suit provided insufficient evidence to back up their claims the NYRA knowingly submitted a false application for a $10 million Paycheck Protection Program loan in 2020.
“The complaint does not plausibly allege that [NYRA] lied about its economic necessity or its employment figures,” the judge said.
Private citizens Anoush Hakimi and Peter Shahriari, who practice law in Encino, California, filed suit against NYRA in U.S. District Court in Central Islip in early 2024. The pair alleged NYRA lied about the size of its workforce and the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain the loan. NYRA operates thoroughbred racetracks in Elmont, Queens and Saratoga…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud