Nemr Hallak, 43, of Quebec, Canada, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for his involvement in a large-scale telemarketing fraud scheme targeting businesses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California reported that U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen also ordered Hallak to pay $5.38 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
Hallak was indicted in 2016 on several charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud. After being arrested in Greece in 2016, Hallak was extradited to the U.S. in 2023, where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud on Sept. 12, 2024.
Hallak admitted to conspiring with others to run a fraudulent business directory scheme, which involved cold calls, misleading invoices, and threats to trick victims into paying between $400 and $1,800 for services they did not order or receive. The scheme used shell companies in Florida and Delaware, many using the term “Yellow Pages” to appear legitimate. These companies were designed to evade accountability, and shell company officers were paid in cash with no control over operations.
Other co-defendants, including Tolga Suatac and Michelina Perna, were sentenced in March 2023, while Roberto Mancini still faces charges. Judge Chen called the fraud a calculated effort to exploit businesses, contributing to significant financial harm.
