Date: June 11, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Today, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced that Mehran Koranki, formerly of Yukon, has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States. In late 2010, Koranki fled the United States following his criminal conviction at trial on mail fraud and money laundering charges. On February 2, 2010, a federal grand jury returned a 53-count Indictment against Koranki, charging him with numerous counts of mail fraud and money laundering. Between February 2005 and March 2006, Koranki owned and controlled two Oklahoma City companies which maintained, repaired, and sold computer networking components. The companies had extended warranty agreements with Nortel Networks, which allowed the businesses to receive replacements for broken or defective parts. In November 2010, evidence presented at a jury trial indicated that Koranki’s businesses received hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment through the warranty agreement, which they then sold for a profit, in a direct violation of the agreement. After four days of testimony, the jury found Koranki guilty of 48 counts of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. After the jury returned the guilty verdicts, and prior to Koranki’s sentencing hearing, he fled the United States. In January 2011, Koranki sent a letter to the court that read in part, “I sincerely regret to inform you I am no longer in the United States and will not be attending the sentencing hearing.” Koranki has been a fugitive since that time. On September 30, 2013, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Koranki in absentia to serve 156 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $6,010,157.90 in restitution. Click here to read the original press release on the 2013 sentencing. In November 2015, the United States submitted to United Kingdom government officials an official request to extradite Koranki. On February 5, 2024, Koranki was arrested pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice, after traveling on a flight from Doha, Qatar, to Manchester, United Kingdom. Koranki subsequently consented to extradition, and, on June 3, 2024, the U.S. Marshal’s Service transported Koranki from the United Kingdom to the United States. “Those who seek to evade justice will eventually be apprehended and held accountable for their crimes” said U.S. Attorney Troester. “I commend the work done by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and United Kingdom authorities for their tireless efforts to bring this matter to a close.” “No matter how far you run, or how long you hide, the U.S. Marshals Service will exhaust all available resources in returning international fugitives to face justice in the United States,” said United States Marshal Johnny L. Kuhlman. “The arrest and extradition of this defendant is further proof of the U.S. Marshals ongoing commitment to locating fugitives around the world. The bottom line is … we never stop looking.” Today’s announcement is the result of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance to secure Koranki’s arrest and extradition from the United Kingdom. The United States thanks United Kingdom law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance with Koranki’s arrest and extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Williams prosecuted the case for the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and Stan J. West assisted with Koranki’s extradition. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
