McLean man sentenced to over a year in prison for luxury watch fraud scheme

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man was sentenced today to a year and nine months in prison for mail fraud.

According to court documents, from November 2022 through June 2024, Jaivin Raj Karnani, 45, frequently used American Express card accounts he controlled to order luxury watches and related products from Harrods Limited, a luxury department store in London. Karnani would use his own name as well as the fictitious names “Quinn Bash” and “Steve Johnson” to make the purchases. After the luxury watches arrived, Karnani would initiate a dispute with American Express in an attempt to have the charges for the watches removed from his statement and balances due. Karnani would then sell or attempt to sell the watches to watch dealers in Michigan and New York.

“Jaivan Karnani’s fraudulent conduct resulted in a federal prison sentence,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case demonstrates how the abuse of consumer-protection systems inflicts widespread financial harm – driving up costs, eroding trust, and burdening honest businesses. The Eastern District of Virginia will hold accountable anyone who exploits these safeguards to enrich themselves at others’ expense.”

Altogether, Karnani falsely discharged $1,280,647.99 worth of luxury watches he ordered from Harrods, causing actual losses of $851,328.75 to American Express and $426,794.24 to Harrods. Karnani also abused the American Express charge-back process to reverse legal fees several of his own lawyers had already earned, resulting later in civil judgments against Karnani.

In addition to his prison sentence, Karnani must forfeit a total of $1,280,647.99 and 23 luxury watches seized from his residence in McLean, including watches by Rolex, Moser, Oris, Chanel, Tissot, Tudor, Omega, Porsche, Gucci, and Chopard.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-274.