Ali F. Elmezayen, 45, used part of the money on real estate in Egypt and a boat, was sentenced to 212 years, the maximum sentence, in federal prison for fraud, the judge announced Thursday, CBS Los Angeles reported.
A California man looking to cash in on a hefty insurance payout by driving his car off a wharf in Los Angeles and killing his two young autistic sons was sentenced to 212 years in federal prison, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Ali F. Elmezayen, 45, was handed the maximum sentence after being convicted by a federal jury of mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering in 2019.
On April 9, 2015. Elmezayen drove his car off a commercial fisherman’s pier in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles. Hix ex-wife and two of their children were inside the car. His ex-wife, who was unable to swim, was rescued by a fisherman, but their sons, who were strapped inside the vehicle, were unable to escape and died. Their older son had been away in camp at the time, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Prosecutors said the incident happened 12 days after the two-year contestability period on the last his insurance policies expired, CBS reported.
Prosecutors alleged that he had been plotting this diabolical scheme for two years. They said between July 2012 and March 2013, Elmezayen purchased more than $3 million worth of life and accidental death policies on himself and his family from eight insurance companies, a report said
He paid more than $6,000 a year in premiums for the policies while reporting income of less than $30,000 a year on his tax returns, prosecutors said. They said he began buying the policies the same year he exited a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and would frequently call the insurance companies confirming that his policies were active and benefits would be paid if his ex-wife died suddenly. He also verified with at least two of the insurance companies that they would not investigate claims that he made two years after the purchases, according to CBS.
Elmezayen received more than $260,000 from two insurance companies on the policies he had taken out on the children's lives. Elmezayen used part of the money he received on real estate in Egypt and a boat.
Elmezayen was eventually charged in the federal fraud case and accused by local prosecutors of murder, attempted murder and a special circumstance that the killings were for financial gain. The murder charges were arranged to be prosecuted after the federal case.
U.S. District Judge John R. Walter called it an "evil and diabolical scheme,” and ordered Elmezayen to pay $261,751 in restitution to the insurance companies.
"He is the ultimate phony and a skillful liar … and is nothing more than a greedy and brutal killer,” the judge said. ”The only regret that the defendant has is that he got caught."
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