(Chicago) A Chicago travel agent ripped off at least 50 Muslim pilgrims out of around $525,000 by selling package trips to Mecca that couldn’t supply the mandatory visas, federal prosecutors say.
Islam requires that all Muslims who are physically and financially able take the Hajj — a pilgrimage to Mecca — at least once in their lives.
But travel agent Rashid Minhas, 42, lied when he told customers who he sold travel packages for this year’s Hajj that the package included visas to visit Saudi Arabia, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Minhas’ business, Light Star Hajj Group, 5801 Northwest Hwy., wasn’t authorized by the Saudi government to obtain visas — and Minhas never intended to apply for the visas, the feds say.
Minhas was arrested at his North Side home Thursday morning and charged with mail fraud. He’s due to appear in court Thursday afternoon.
A criminal complaint filed yesterday alleges he sent $339,000 of the cash he took from customers to Pakistan and also used the money to pay his own expenses.
This year, the Hajj pilgrimage was from Oct. 2 to Oct. 7. Approximately two million pilgrims attend the Hajj every year.
If convicted, Minhas faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus restitution to his alleged victims.
–Sun-Times
© Copyright 2014 Sun-Times Media, LLC
