7-Eleven employee sentenced to 48 months imprisonment for multi-million dollar fraud conspiracy

NEW YORK — A New York man was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to committing wire fraud and concealing and harboring illegal aliens. The initial arrest stemmed from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York-led investigation, with assistance from the New York State Police, Suffolk County Police, U.S. Department of Labor, and the New York Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.

Malik Yousaf, 55, carried out his elaborate scheme by using stolen identities and harboring illegal aliens employed at 7-Eleven, Inc. (7-Eleven) franchise stores located throughout Long Island and Virginia. According to court documents, Yousaf acted as the chief manager of five 7-Eleven franchise stores during the course of the conspiracy. He hired dozens of illegal aliens, equipped them with more than 20 identities stolen from U.S. citizens, housed them at residences his coconspirators owned, and stole substantial portions of his workers’ wages.

This scheme generated over $182 million in proceeds from the 7-Eleven franchise stores. In addition to the prison sentence, the court entered an order forfeiting the Yousef’s rights to eight 7-Eleven stores in New York and ten 7-Eleven stores in Virginia, as well as a Long Island residence worth over $150,000. He is also required to pay $2.5 million in restitution for the back wages that he stole from his workers.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s Business and Securities Fraud Section.