Former financial director for multinational consulting company indicted for misappropriating more than $8.2 million

Date: Sept. 23, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Jordan Khammar with wire fraud and money laundering for his role in a decade-long scheme to defraud a multinational media, brand management, and consulting company and stealing over $8.2 million. Khammar was arrested this morning in Columbus, Ohio, and will appear this afternoon in federal court in the Southern District of Ohio.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the arrest and charges.

"As alleged, for over a decade and on hundreds of occasions, Khammar betrayed his employer's trust and took advantage of his access to its financial systems for personal gain," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "This office remains committed to seeking justice for all victims of fraud and prosecuting those who perpetrate it."

As alleged in the indictment, Khammar was hired as a financial consultant in 2006 by a multinational media, brand management, and consulting company (Company-1). He eventually became the company's Financial Director with access to and control over a wide range of its financial accounts and systems including those tied to banking, accounting, bookkeeping and payroll functions. Between January 2015 and May 2025, Khammar abused that access and control to engage in a scheme to defraud Company-1 out of millions of dollars. During the 10-year period, Khammar initiated over 300 fraudulent wire transactions, sending himself more than $8.2 million dollars from Company-1's bank account.

Khammar took steps to conceal his scheme from Company-1, including by manipulating its books and records, circumventing internal controls, and limiting other employees' and consultants' access to the company financial systems and accounts. For example, Khammar created over 100 false entries in Company-1's general ledger, disguising his fraudulent wire transfers as purportedly legitimate payments for Company 1's expenses such as company credit card bill payments, tax payments, and costs associated with the renovation of Company 1's Brooklyn office.

Khammar wired most of the stolen money to an account held in the name of Olive Tree Ventures, Inc. (Olive Tree), a company that he founded, owned, and controlled. From the Olive Tree account, Khammar dispersed a large portion of the funds to finance his independent business ventures including his media production company, Sideswipe Media, Inc. (Sideswipe), and diverting:

• $3.2 million to fund Sideswipe's payroll including to pay multiple individuals associated with Sideswipe's film and television productions, as well as $325,000 in payroll payments to himself;
• $429,000 in commercial real estate rental payments for office space in Brooklyn used by Olive Tree and Sideswipe; and
• $415,000 in transfers to Sideswipe's bank account.

Khammar also used the stolen funds to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of real estate in Florida and Ohio, and to further pay himself and a variety of personal expenses, including:

• $1.2 million in personal credit card bills;
• $163,000 in purported payroll payments to himself via another company that he founded, owned and controlled;
• $135,000 in cash withdrawals; and
• Tens of thousands of dollars in other expenses including furniture, travel, meal purchases, and utility payments.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, Khammar faces up to 20 years in prison.

The government's case is being handled by the Office's Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax and Dana Rehnquist are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office's Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.

The Defendant:
Jordan Khammar
Columbus, OH
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-283 (AMD)

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.