Two new sealed documents were added to the indictment file of Azruddin and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, today. Just yesterday, one was added. On October 24, another was added, while on November 3, two were added.
The father and son duo, who were sanctioned by the United States (U.S.) in June of 2024 and later indicted by the U.S. on 11 criminal charges, were arrested by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Friday last.
They have been indicted in the United States on 11 charges, including wire fraud, gold smuggling, and money laundering.
The government of Guyana received an extradition request from the U.S. for the duo. As a result, they were arrested and hauled before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court last Friday, where they were granted $150,000 bail each as the extradition proceedings begin.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)-sanctioned Mohameds were indicted by a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 11 criminal charges ranging from wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, primarily connected to the export of gold to the US by their company, Mohamed’s Enterprises. The father-son duo was sanctioned by OFAC in 2024.
The Mohameds are accused of conspiring to defraud the US and Guyanese Governments between 2017 and June 11, 2024. The father-son duo is accused of using a scheme to unlawfully obtain property by transmitting communications via interstate and foreign commerce in violation of US laws.
According to the prosecutors, the goal was to enrich themselves and defraud the Government of Guyana by evading taxes and royalties on gold exports.
Azruddin contested as the presidential candidate of the newly formed political party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) in the 2025 general and regional elections, with hopes of winning the race, which would have granted him immunity, only available to the President. However, his plans to evade the long arms of the law failed miserably when he lost the election. He was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on Monday, after his party secured 16 seats.
The U.S. is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the father-son duo.
