Manassas Man Pleads Guilty In $300,000 Amazon Mail Fraud Return Scheme

MANASSAS, VA — A man from Manassas pleaded guilty to defrauding Amazon in federal court on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Officials said the man, Farhaad Riyaz, defrauded Amazon of more than $300,000 through a mail fraud return scheme.

The scheme involved Riyaz ordering items from Amazon and then demanding a refund, claiming that the item arrived too late or did not match the online description. However, instead of returning the purchased item, he would send a less valuable lookalike, according to court documents.

For example, in June 2019, Riyaz bought a rare Fender Telecaster electric guitar for approximately $2,600 from Amazon, officials said. Then, he returned a different electric guitar of the same color that was worth about $400.

Other items acquired through the scheme included a $37,000 home theater system and multiple $4,400 toilets with electric bidets, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Riyaz is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2022. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. However, actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less strict than the maximum penalties, officials said.

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