Thousand Oaks Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison in $11 Million Bank Fraud Case

          LOS ANGELES – A Thousand Oaks man who fraudulently obtained more than $11 million in loans he used to purchase a gas station and two car washes was sentenced today to nearly five years in federal prison.

          Mohsen Hass, 60, was sentenced to 57 months in prison by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer.

          In addition to the prison term, Judge Fischer ordered Hass to pay $5,737,585 in restitution to the victim financial institutions.

          Hass, who is also known as “Mike Hass” and “Mohsen Hassanshahi,” pleaded guilty in March to one count of making false statements to a financial institution

          Hass purchased the businesses after receiving loans that were approved after he submitted loan applications in 2006 and 2007 that contained false information, including fake assets Hass claimed he was using for a down payment. Hass used the proceeds of the loans to purchase a gas station in Santa Paula and two car washes in South Los Angeles. The lenders suffered losses when Hass defaulted on the loans. Hass was initially charged in 2014, but he fled to Iran for nearly four years before surrendering in February.

          At least one bank insider participated in the scheme and allowed loans to go through despite knowing about the false information. Ataollah Aminpour has pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.

          Hass “obtained multi-million dollar businesses to run without putting his own money at risk and allowing at least one bank insider to profit,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed in relation to today’s sentencing.

          The victims in this case include the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which served as receiver for one of the financial institutions, Mirae Bank, which went into receivership as a result of the fraudulent conduct involving Aminpour and Hass.

          This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Inspector General; the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; and the Office of the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

          The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section.