A judge sentenced an Ohio millionaire known as the “Food Stamp Millionaire” to 30 days behind bars for welfare fraud.
Pascal Mahvi, 66, was sentenced to three years’ probation, a $2,750 fine, and a six-month suspended sentence in addition to his 30-day jail sentence, WCMH reported.
Mahvi was found guilty in September of falsely claiming more than $8,300 worth of food stamps and falsifying his application for Medicaid benefits over two years.
Mahvi earned his nickname as the “Food Stamp Millionaire” when investigators discovered he had collected welfare benefits despite having millions of dollars in the bank.
Prosecutors said Mahvi did not disclose assets which included an $800,000 home, multiple cars, and horses kept in stables.
Mahvi maintained his innocence, claiming that his assets such as his home and personal belongings do not prohibit him from obtaining welfare. He added that he asked family and friends for loans to help him stay afloat while claiming that he had ties to “Iranian royalty.”
Investigators raided his 8,000 square foot home with multiple garages containing sports cars and an in-ground swimming pool for evidence that he committed welfare fraud.
After the raid, authorities indicted him in December on fraud charges.
The judge ordered Mahvi to report to Geauga County’s jail by November 4, WKYC reports.