CHICAGO — Former Ohio Deputy Treasurer and Chicago Comptroller Amer Ahmad has been extradited to the United States from Pakistan to serve a 15-year prison term for his role in a kickback scandal involving state investment business at the Ohio treasurer's office.
Ahmad was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in December 2013 after he pled guilty to federal program bribery and conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, honest services wire fraud and money laundering.
Ahmad, 40, a native of Akron, fled to Pakistan in April 2014 to avoid the sentence. He was quickly arrested in Pakistan for trying to enter the country illegally with a forged Mexican passport and fake Pakistani birth certificate, and has been held in prison there until this week. Ahmad had recently withdrawn his opposition to being extradited, according to local reports.
He was flown to Columbus, Ohio where hearing is set for Friday morning. In December 2013, before he fled, Ahmad struck a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that included a guilty plea on two counts of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering.
U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson handed down the maximum sentence of 15 years for Ahmad's role as lead conspirator in the scheme. He was also ordered to pay back $3.2 million he made from the crimes.
A federal grand jury in August 2013 indicted Ahmad on allegations that he used his used his influence as deputy Ohio state treasurer from 2009 to 2011 to steer investment business to a firm with which he had close personal ties, which then funneled cash back to Ahmad and several alleged co-conspirators through "loans" and "fees."
Three co-defendants also pled guilty and have been sentenced.
The Ohio treasurer's office manages the state's cash and oversees multi-billion-dollar investment portfolios. Ahmad was named chief financial officer of the office in 2008 by then Treasurer Kevin Boyce and in 2009 he also became deputy treasurer. The kickback schemes occurred between early 2009 and early 2011.
Ahmad left the treasurer's office in late 2010 after Boyce, a Democrat, lost his re-election bid to Republican Josh Mandel.
Ahmad then joined Cleveland-based KeyCorp as a senior vice president and head of its public sector group, which provides investment and banking services for governments, nonprofit and higher education clients. Ahmad also previously worked in investment banking at Wasserstein Perella and William Blair & Co.
In April 2011, newly elected Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel tapped Ahmad to serve as city comptroller, one of three key city finance positions along with chief financial officer and budget director. Ahmad abruptly resigned in July 2013. Chicago found no evidence that Ahmad committed any crimes while serving under Emanuel.
