Lawful Permanent Resident From India Living in Upscale Corona del Mar BUSTED for Defrauding Bank of Nearly $100 MILLION – Forged Title Policies in Adobe, Altered Metadata, and Lied to Lenders!

Mahender Makhijani, 44, a lawful permanent resident from India residing in the upscale enclave of Corona del Mar, was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint charging him with bank fraud.

Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based outfit that had a lending deal with a federally insured bank. Under the agreement, the bank advanced nearly $100 million so Cantor could originate or purchase real estate loans, but only first-lien loans where Cantor held the top position on the collateral.

Instead of playing straight, Makhijani and a subordinate spent months from September 2024 through April 2025 systematically falsifying title insurance policies.

They used Adobe software to doctor the documents, making it appear Cantor held first-lien positions when other creditors were actually ahead in line. They altered or stripped metadata — including by printing out the fakes and rescanning them — then submitted the bogus records to the bank.

Makhijani didn’t stop there. He personally joined teleconferences with bank reps and fed them misleading explanations. In December 2024, he caused a spreadsheet full of false information to be sent over.

The bank relied on these lies when deciding to keep advancing funds. Had the truth come out earlier, the bank would have declared Cantor in default and demanded immediate repayment of the full $100 million.

If convicted, Makhijani faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison.

Feds bust Indian-born financier accused of defrauding $100M at his luxurious Newport Beach mansion https://t.co/1Y0wH5deJf pic.twitter.com/wBSbj7r7Wk

“Today’s arrest highlights the strength of IRS Criminal Investigation’s financial expertise. As alleged, Mr. Makhijani falsified title insurance records, concealed true lien positions, and used a network of shell companies to mislead a federally insured bank out of nearly $100 million,” said Darren Lian, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office.

“Our special agents followed the money through layered transfers and disguised accounts, uncovering a scheme designed to deceive at every turn. When individuals manipulate documents and abuse financial systems for personal gain, IRS CI will expose the truth and ensure they are held accountable.”

“When criminals are allowed to deceive lenders, the spillover effects can harm consumers and businesses,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Today’s arrest highlights our office’s continued determination to combat threats to our nation’s banking system.”

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theindianexpr ess.com
By: Express Web Desk
Jun 11, 2026

Inside Indian-American Mahender Makhijani’s $100 million
scam: Bentley, Porsche, Mercedes, G-Wagon, sex parties

According to Federal prosecutors, a 44-year-old Makhijani doctored the title records of insurance policies, used as collateral, to make them look more valuable than they actually were. A green card holder, the Indian-American man was arrested in California on Wednesday for allegedly duping a bank of close to $100 million, news agency Reuters reported.

According to Federal prosecutors, a 44-year-old Makhijani doctored the title records of insurance policies, used as collateral, to make them look more valuable than they actually were. An Indian in America, financier Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a company in Newport Beach with a lending relationship with the bank he defrauded. According to The New York Post, Makhijani enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in California’s Newport Beach.

According to the prosecutors, Makhijani is known to often don designer sunglasses even while at home, wear pricey linen shirts, and was accustomed to using private jets for travelling. He maintained two mansions side by side — the second reserved for his in-laws. His fleet of luxury cars included a Bentley, a Porsche, and a Mercedes G-Wagon.

Makhijani acquired the money illegally, according to authorities, and the true value of his wealth remains unknown. “Makhijani has significant financial resources, but the government has not fully traced and accounted for those resources, which are almost certainly not held in Makhijani’s name,” The New York Post quoted a criminal complaint.

How Mahender Makhijani defrauded the bank
The Bank had advanced nearly $100 million to Makhijani’s Cantor to buy loans secured by real estate. Under the terms of their agreement, Cantor was supposed to pledge the loans it secured and their supporting collateral to the Bank, repaying the bank from the loans’ proceeds.

From September 2024 to April 2025, Makhijani allegedly made changes to the title insurance policies to make them appear like Cantor was in the first lien position with respect to certain real estate serving as collateral. He used a complex web of shell companies to mislead a federally insured bank, which ended up losing nearly $100 million.

Prosecutors say he falsified the titles by manually changing metadata fields or by printing and scanning altered documents. After doctoring the title policies, Makhijani had his then-employee submit them to the bank. Makhijani also allegedly lied on calls with the bank’s representatives about the title issues that the bank had identified over several teleconferences.

Makhijani also blackmailed his subordinates — he hosted rave parties with sex workers, also attended by bank employees, and later threatened to expose those who participated in the twisted activities, The New York Post reported.

A Green Card holder, Makhijani may face a jail sentence of a maximum of 30 years if convicted.

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