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Payza Founders Sentenced in $250M Money Laundering Case
Canadian brothers Firoz and Ferhan Patel are headed to prison after admitting their payments company had broken the law.
By Danny Nelson
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:30 a.m. Published Nov 13, 2020, 6:25 p.m. 1 min read
The founders of digital payments processor Payza will serve year-plus prison terms and forfeit $4.5 million in seized assets for breaking federal money transmission laws, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Brothers Firoz and Ferhan Patel, both Canadian, had pleaded guilty in July to a lineup of financial crimes stemming from Payza, their international payments startup. Prosecutors said the unlicensed firm processed more than $250 million, including funds known to be associated with crime, an allegation to which the brothers ultimately admitted.
On Tuesday, Firoz received a 36-month sentence and Ferhan an 18-month sentence from U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Their company Payza (aka MH Pillars) will be in corporate probation for the next three years.
Read more: US Hits Crypto Buying Service Payza With Money Laundering Lawsuit
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