A Morgan Hill man stole $2.3 million using fake business opportunities to lure investors, the prosecutor’s office says.

A Morgan Hill man is accused of stealing approximately $2.3 million from four victims in a scheme to trick people into investing in non-existent real estate opportunities, authorities announced Wednesday.

According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, 45-year-old Saeed Tamim Fakirian sold money to the Middle Eastern community before offering him opportunities to invest in what turned out to be bogus businesses, including gas stations and cars in Berkeley. He became friends with the members of Wash with Gilroy.

According to prosecutors, the thefts occurred between January 2016 and December 2022.

“Our communities should be safe from financial criminals, and financial criminals should know that they are not safe in our communities,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. Stated.

Fakirian is charged with grand theft, securities fraud, identity theft, passing a fraudulent check, filing a false document and a white collar crime enhancement.

He is being held on $250,000 bail and his next judicial hearing is scheduled for April 11. If convicted, Mr Faquitan could be sentenced to prison and have to pay restitution to his four victims.

His alleged co-conspirator, Navid Azizian, 41, of Novato, was charged with six counts of grand larceny for his alleged involvement in one of the victims.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact DA Investigator Justin DeOliveira at 408-792-2420 or jdeoliveira@dao.sccgov.org.