Former Guyanese presidential candidate indicted in $50M tax evasion scheme

A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted two Guyanese nationals, including a recent presidential candidate, in connection with a massive tax evasion and money laundering conspiracy that reportedly cost the government of Guyana $50 million.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced on November 28 that Azruddin Mohamed, 38, and his father, Nazar Mohamed, 72, owners of Mohamed’s Enterprise, a major gold wholesaler and exporter, are accused of orchestrating a multi-year scheme to avoid paying millions in taxes and royalties through fraudulent gold export practices.

Court records say that from 2017 until 2024, the Mohameds disguised the true quantity and value of gold exported from Guyana. The indictment alleges that they paid taxes on one shipment to get official government seals, then reused those seals on subsequent shipments to avoid extra fees. Authorities allege the couple also transferred empty boxes carrying Guyanese government seals from Dubai to Guyana via Miami and bribed customs officers to facilitate the plot.

Investigators estimate that at least 10,000 kg of gold were exported through Miami using this scheme, costing Guyana around $50 million in revenue. Nazar Mohamed is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail fraud, and wire fraud, while Azruddin Mohamed is accused of money laundering and wire fraud.

The indictment also says that Azruddin Mohamed participated in a separate plot to dodge more than $1 million in taxes by moving a Lamborghini from Miami to Guyana. US police seized around $5.3 million in gold bars linked to Mohamed’s Enterprise at Miami International Airport.

Both persons had already been sanctioned by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in June 2024. According to the news announcement, Azruddin Mohamed, who unsuccessfully campaigned for president of Guyana in September 2025, will also be an incoming member of the country’s parliament.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Florida is prosecuting the case, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS Criminal Investigation, and other government authorities.