Mahender Makhijani, a 44-year-old Indian-origin financier based in California, has found himself at the centre of serious fraud allegations after US authorities accused him of deceiving a bank out of nearly $100 million (£73 million).
Federal prosecutors claim that Makhijani manipulated documents related to real estate loans to secure financing under false pretences. The allegations have drawn attention not only for the scale of the purported fraud but also for separate claims regarding his personal conduct.
