A Tampa luxury car dealer has been ordered to federal prison after a brazen auto finance scam that left lenders on the hook for roughly $378 in fraudulent loans. The case, built around falsified applications and a stolen Rolls-Royce plot, shows how easily high-end vehicles can be turned into quick cash when safeguards fail.
Prosecutors said the scheme stretched far beyond a single bad deal, with multiple bogus sales, straw buyers, and doctored paperwork used to siphon money from legitimate finance companies.
From showroom deals to federal charges
According to federal court filings, dealer Mohamad Jihad Fakih used his Tampa operation to stage sham transactions that appeared to be ordinary retail sales of high-end vehicles. Investigators said he submitted inflated and false information on loan applications, then directed payments to companies he controlled while lenders believed they were funding real customers and real cars.
Mohamad Jihad FakihTampa car dealer jailed over massive $378K luxury loan scam and stolen Rolls-Royce plot https://t.co/PNajj1WBMFpic.twitter.com/wDpfelg6Yj
— Buddy Revell (@BuddyRevel17394) March 5, 2026
One account described how Fakih and his associates relied on electronic systems that allowed financing applications to be filed remotely, making it easier to push through large amounts of credit with minimal face-to-face scrutiny, a method detailed by Federal prosecutors…