Guilty Plea In $7.5 million Miami Heat Fraud Case
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CBSMiami/AP) — A man plead guilty Thursday in connection to a a multimillion-dollar scam which involved three former Miami Heat players.
The government alleges that Haider Zafar (HY'-dur ZAH'-fahr) defrauded players Mike Miller, James Jones and Rashard Lewis in 2013 by promising to invest $7.5 million in various business opportunities. Instead, prosecutors say, Zafar kept the money and used some of it to buy a $1 million, three-season Heat ticket package.
Zafar pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud Thursday in federal court in Columbus, where the Florida case was combined with a previous fraud case against Zafar.
Defense attorney Sam Shamansky says Zafar is interested in making parties in the case whole and accepting whatever punishment is appropriate.
Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for November.
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