By Colin Benjamin & Black Star News
Photos: Black Star News
Alleged victims of judicial fraud—some joined by family members and supporters—recently held a demonstration outside the U.S. District Court in White Plains, New York, to denounce alleged systemic court corruption, including the fabrication and alteration of court records, lack of transparency, and what demonstrators say is an absence of accountability involving court clerks, lawyers—and even sitting judges.
Many participants shared stories of how they say they were victimized by alleged fraudulent judicial schemes. The group also focused on what it says is a particularly egregious miscarriage of justice: the continued incarceration of Saaed Moslem, who, with his father, co-owned and operated Exclusive Motor Sports, a car dealership in Central Valley, New York, that sold luxury vehicles.
The family has an ongoing social media campaign to highlight what they say is the “continued illegal incarceration” of Saaed as well as an IG page “Justice4Saaed.”
In August 2019, federal prosecutors charged Saaed Moslem and his engineer father, Mehdi Moslem, with conspiring to defraud the United States by allegedly underreporting income, hiding dealership profits, and committing bank fraud to secure a $1.5 million loan. The two were convicted in June 2021, even though they claim they had evidence clearly showing that the value of their properties far exceeded the loan amount, which they say they were not allowed to introduce at trial. Additionally, they had three certified forensic accounting reviews that they say confirmed they had overpaid their taxes by $500,000, but they say they were also not permitted to introduce this evidence at trial.
In October 2022, Mehdi was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, while Saaed received an eight-year sentence. Mehdi was released after two years. But Saaed remains incarcerated, and has been transferred several times to different correctional facilities, which the family claims is retaliation for his continuing efforts to fight what he alleges is a false conviction. He has, on more than one occasion, endured solitary confinement. The family believes this is because of his continued court challenges to what he argues is false imprisonment.
A major issue in the case is the Moslem family’s claim that there was no warrant in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) authorizing entry into their properties or their arrests, and that there is no valid indictment authorizing Saaed’s imprisonment, as previously reported by Black Star News. The Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons did not respond to previous inquiries from Black Star News about these allegations.
The family has filed several motions concerning these alleged transgressions and claims. Judge Cathy Seibel, who presided over the case of both men, repeatedly dismissed or denied Mehdi’s and Saaed’s attempts to present evidence they believe would have proven their innocence at trial or that supports their current motions challenging their convictions. At trial, this included evidence the defense sought to present concerning certified bank appraisals and the value of their properties and assets.
The family believes the criminal case against them was a pretext engineered to seize valuable family assets, including a Long Island City commercial property said to be worth more than $100 million following a rezoning of the area.
Recently, Mehdi Moslem—above holding a sign—discussed their case on the Black Star News show on New York City’s WBAI Radio 99.5 FM on Sept. 1, 2026. During the demonstration last Thursday, he also denounced the continued incarceration of his son and the repeated transfers of Saaed to different prisons, including Fort Dix, and to his current location in New Hampshire.
Saeideh, Saaed Moslem’s mother, spoke of the severe “mental torture” she says her son is enduring behind prison walls, including multiple periods in solitary confinement, after allegedly filing motions outlining what he says was the fraudulent prosecution of him and his father. She also condemned the prosecution’s reliance on their former accountant, Stephen Strauhs, whom the family alleges committed perjury on the witness stand, as previously reported by Black Star News.
Unbeknownst to the Moslem family, Strauhs was wired by the FBI while working for many different people—including the Moslems—over several years. One news account reported that, because of fraudulent activities he committed in his own business, he could have faced up to 130 years in prison. Instead, after Strauhs pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to defraud the IRS and tax evasion from 2006 through 2012, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud, Judge Seibel granted the government’s motion and he received no prison time.
Dina Mhmoud—above middle, in sunglasses—who is Saaed Moslem’s fiancée, posed the question that the Moslem family and their advocates have repeatedly raised: “Where is the original, authenticated indictment? Where is the ‘wet-ink’ indictment?”
A wet-ink indictment is the original formal document bearing handwritten signatures, as opposed to a digital, scanned, or photocopied version.
Mhmoud also asked: “Where is the original grand jury true bill? Where is the official proof showing that a grand jury lawfully returned an indictment against Saaed and Mehdi Moslem?”
One of the supporters, Louann—above left—who says she is herself a victim of judicial fraud in a separate case, has done extensive research on the court system.
“I have spent over four years, in all different courts in New York, to find out and confirm exactly what is going on. I learned all about court filing fraud, court system filing manipulations, falsified court documents, and the hidden from the public court internal systems, with different case proceedings,” she said.
Referring specifically to the Moslems’ case, she said: “We believe Saaed Moslem is being kept in prison so they can try and take the property and everything else they can take from Mr. Moslem who is now 77 years old.”
Like the other supporters, she demanded the “immediate release” of Saaed Moslem.
For the record, this reporter entered the courthouse and asked whether Mehdi Moslem could see the original authenticated wet-ink indictment. He and the Moslem family waited for nearly 30 minutes before a clerk stated that Judge Seibel would have to approve access to it.
“This raises a serious question,” Mhmoud said after the incident. “Why must a person accused of a crime obtain a judge’s approval merely to inspect the original charging document that supposedly authorizes the prosecution and imprisonment?”
“We are not requesting a scan, photocopy, electronic docket entry, or an unauthenticated version,” she added. “We are requesting the original authenticated wet-ink indictment and the original grand-jury true bill. If the original charging foundation cannot be inspected and verified, the public has reason to ask how anyone can be confident that the document was lawfully returned, properly preserved, and not altered, substituted, or fabricated?”
“Mehdi and Saaed Moslem have demanded access to the original wet-ink indictment in at least five separate court proceedings. Our requests have been ignored, denied, stayed, or left unanswered,” she said. “We have repeatedly requested the original authenticated indictment and original grand-jury true bill to verify that a lawful indictment was returned. Yet, in at least five separate court proceedings, those requests have been denied, ignored, stayed, or met with silence.”
Another prominent voice at the demonstration, which was held Sept. 17, 2026, was homeowner Ashmeen Modikhan—above right—whose plight and alleged victimization by people she accuses of trying to steal her two properties has been extensively covered by Black Star News. She has also made several appearances on the Black Star News show on WBAI Radio.
Modikhan said she stood “in solidarity with Saaed’s family” and “all the homeowners in New York and all over the country.”
She tearfully recounted how her home was raided by a New York Police Department (NYPD) SWAT team and how, she alleges, she was falsely arrested in order to advance a fraudulent scheme to seize her properties. The case against her stemming from the arrest on Eid, a major Muslim holiday, has been dismissed.
Ms. Modikhan’s case will be the subject of an upcoming separate article in Black Star News.
