Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
According to article on ESPN.com, three Miami Heat players were ripped off by a man named Haider Zafar, who was operating a multimillion-dollar real-estate fraud in Miami. Among those who were ripped off were former Heat shooting guards Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis and James Jones.
A witness to the crimes testified in Columbus, OH, where U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus denied bond to Zafar, stating that he is a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Zafar, who used to live in Ohio, now lives in southern Florida. He is on trial for wire fraud, along with a variety of other charges. He is facing a 135-count indictment, in which he devised a plan to con businessman Patwinder Sidhu out of $10 million from 2008-2010.
It was said that Zafar used illegitimate documents to solicit funds from Sidhu for real-estate ventures in Pakistan. Zafar went on to tell Sidhu that his uncle was Pakistan’s minister of defense and that he bought property for their country’s government. He then told Sidhu that they could buy land in Pakistan and sell it later for profit.
Zafar is denying all charges, and he and his attorney, Samuel Shamansky, said they will continue to dispute these accusations.
According to the Associated Press, Miller, Lewis and Jones invested over $8 million in Zafar, which he used to lead a luxurious life, filled with extravagant vehicles, diamonds, and watches among other items.
This continues to be an ongoing investigation while Zafar awaits trial in Columbus.
