Ahmad K. Bachay, 40, of San Diego, California, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and witness tampering related to a scheme involving staged automobile accidents.
United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke also ordered Bachay to serve a three-year term of court supervision, pay $400,805 in restitution, and forfeit $85,277. The FBI began investigating in February 2019 into allegations that Bachay and others defrauded insurance companies through staged collisions and false claims.
Court proceedings revealed Bachay's attempts to intimidate a confidential human source (CHS) assisting the FBI. In December 2020, he threatened “John Doe,” an individual cooperating with the FBI, stating he would identify and kill a particular person’s family in Iraq. Further threats were made in January 2021, reportedly to kill “John Doe” and “John Doe’s” family in Eastern Washington.
Bachay became a federal fugitive, leaving the United States before indictment. He was arrested in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2024, and extradited to the Eastern District of Washington after resisting his return for 16 months.
First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano said, “Staged collisions... make our streets dangerous... and increase insurance premiums for all of us.” W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, added, “Even worse, he threatened to kill a suspected witness and his family, then fled overseas... staged auto accidents are serious crimes with real victims and real consequences.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.