Instead of passing the bar, a graduate of a prestigious law school will likely end up behind bars after allegedly dabbling in bank, real estate, auto loan, student loan and credit card fraud.
A Miami federal jury on Friday found Gerti Muho, 33, guilty in a fraud scheme that landed him more than $2.5 million, which he spent on luxury cars and an ocean-view condo. Muho is a 2012 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
When Muho was fired in 2013 from his Wall Street hedge fund job, prosecutors charged he pulled a real-life "Office Space," stealing all the information on the company's computer server and trying to siphon millions of dollars from hedge fund bank accounts. (The company, Fletcher Asset Management, faced separate accusations of defrauding investors.)
Using the identities of former employees and interns at Fletcher, Muho created fake identities, according to prosecutors. He defrauded a Monaco bank into wiring him $2 million and also lied his way into a $500,000 business loan, ultimately blowing the money on gambling and luxuries including a 2013 Maserati and a unit at the Marquis building on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami, according to the charges.
He used the fake IDs, including driver's licenses and identification cards from various states, to escape a civil judgment entered in the Southern District of New York, prosecutors said. He also falsely applied for $250,000 in credit cards and vehicle, business and student loans with numerous banks and other lenders.
When Muho faced eviction from the $775,000 condo, Muho fled to Ridgewood, New York, where he was arrested.
After a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, he was convicted of 40 counts of bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. His sentencing is set for Sept. 26.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McLaughlin and Matthew Langley prosecuted the case.
Muho was represented by David Harris of the Law Office of David S. Harris in Miami.