Former Guyanese Presidential Candidate and Businessman Charged in $50 Million Tax Evasion and Money Laundering Scheme

MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment on Oct. 2 charging two Guyanese nationals with participating in a multi-year scheme to evade millions of dollars in taxes and royalties owed to the Government of Guyana through fraudulent gold export practices and related money laundering activities.

According to court documents, Nazar Mohamed, 72, and Azruddin Mohamed, 38, were owners of Mohamed’s Enterprise, a gold wholesaler and exporter in Guyana that sold gold to buyers in Miami and Dubai. Guyanese authorities impose approximately a seven-percent tax and duty on exported gold.  From about 2017 through at least 2024, the pair allegedly enriched themselves and defrauded the Government of Guyana by concealing the true quantity and value of gold exported by their company.

The indictment alleges that the couple devised a system in which Mohamed’s Enterprise paid taxes and royalties on one shipment of gold to obtain official government seals, then reused those same seals on subsequent shipments to avoid paying additional taxes and royalties. To further their scheme, they allegedly shipped empty boxes bearing Guyanese government seals from Dubai through Miami to Guyana and paid bribes to customs and other government officials to facilitate the illegal shipments.

In total, the pair allegedly exported at least 10,000 kilograms of gold through Miami, causing an estimated loss of approximately $50 million to the Government of Guyana.   

Nazar Mohamed is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and mail fraud. Azruddin Mohamed is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud. The indictment also alleges that Azruddin Mohamed engaged in a separate scheme to evade over $1 million in Guyanese taxes in connection with the shipment of a Lamborghini from Miami to Guyana. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of approximately $5.3 million in gold bars shipped by Mohamed’s Enterprise that were seized at Miami International Airport on June 11, 2024.

Both were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in June 2024. Azruddin Mohamed, who unsuccessfully ran for president of Guyana in September 2025, is an incoming member of Guyana’s parliament.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa and Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami and New York, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by HSI Miami and New York, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and Customs and Border Protection.

Senior Litigation Counsel Michael N. Berger and Trial Attorney Jil Simon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Deputy Chief Josh Paster is handling asset forfeiture.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number  25-cr-20441.

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