Nemr Hallak, a Canadian national, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his involvement in a telemarketing fraud scheme. The sentencing was conducted by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen.
Hallak, aged 43 and from Quebec, Canada, faced charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and mail and wire fraud. His indictment dates back to 2016 when he was initially arrested in Greece before being re-arrested and extradited to the United States in late 2023. Hallak admitted guilt to conspiracy charges on September 12, 2024.
The fraudulent operation involved misleading small businesses into paying for non-existent business directory services through deceptive cold calls and invoices. Co-defendants Tolga Suatac and Michelina Perna had already pleaded guilty earlier in March 2023, while another co-defendant Roberto Mancini's case remains pending.
"Fraudsters who cheat and deceive U.S. businesses will be investigated and brought to justice," stated United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey.
Stephen M. Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service highlighted the cooperation with other agencies: "Postal Inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division."
Linda Nguyen from IRS-CI emphasized their global efforts: "We are committed to following the money no matter where it takes us."
The court documents revealed that shell companies were formed under false pretenses using names like “Yellow Pages” to appear legitimate, while victims were misled into believing they owed money for these fictitious services.
In addition to imprisonment, Hallak received three years of supervised release and must pay over $5 million in restitution.
Assistant United States Attorney Lloyd Farnham is handling the prosecution with assistance from Kathy Tat and Helen Yee following an investigation by USPIS and IRS-CI. The Justice Department acknowledged international cooperation for Hallak's extradition.