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Saturday, November 23, 2024

Former Yukon resident extradited after fleeing US conviction

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U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester | U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester | U.S. Department of Justice

OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced today that Mehran Koranki, 63, formerly of Yukon, has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States. In late 2010, Koranki fled the country following his criminal conviction on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.

On February 2, 2010, a federal grand jury indicted Koranki on 53 counts of mail fraud and money laundering. Between February 2005 and March 2006, Koranki owned two Oklahoma City companies involved in maintaining, repairing, and selling computer networking components. These companies had extended warranty agreements with Nortel Networks that allowed them to receive replacements for defective parts.

In November 2010, evidence presented at a jury trial showed that Koranki’s businesses received equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars through the warranty agreement and sold it for profit in violation of the agreement. After four days of testimony, the jury found Koranki guilty on 48 counts of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering.

Following his conviction but before sentencing, Koranki fled the United States. In January 2011, he sent a letter to the court stating: “I sincerely regret to inform you I am no longer in the United States and will not be attending the sentencing hearing.” He has been a fugitive since then.

On September 30, 2013, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Koranki in absentia to serve 156 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $6,010,157.90 in restitution.

In November 2015, the United States requested that United Kingdom officials extradite Koranki. On February 5, 2024, he was arrested pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice after traveling from Doha, Qatar to Manchester, UK.

Koranki consented to extradition and was transported by the U.S. Marshal’s Service from the UK to the U.S. on June 3, 2024.

“Those who seek to evade justice will eventually be apprehended and held accountable for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Troester. “I commend the work done by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and United Kingdom authorities for their tireless efforts to bring this matter to a close.”

“No matter how far you run or how long you hide,” said U.S. Marshal Johnny L. Kuhlman,“the U.S. Marshals Service will exhaust all available resources in returning international fugitives to face justice in the United States... we never stop looking.”

The announcement follows an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS Criminal Investigation with substantial assistance from The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and U.S Marshals Service in securing Koranki’s arrest and extradition from The UK Assistant US Attorney Scott E Williams prosecuted The case with assistance from Assistant US Attorneys Wilson D McGarry & Stan J West

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

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