The person at the center of this case
Multiple car dealership owners (8+ victims across 5 states)
Cold Case · Open
4 years waiting · since 2021
ISMAIL SHALASH
Justice for Multiple car dealership owners (8+ victims across 5 states) — the trail went cold in 2021, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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suspect
Lead #1Why did Shalash use the alias 'Armand Brigante' and claim to operate MDDI Inc., and what other aliases or business entities might he be using?
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evidence
Lead #2What financial institutions or payment methods were used to receive the $3.4 million in fraudulent payments, and can they be traced?
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location
Lead #3Beyond Cincinnati, Ohio, what other locations does Shalash have ties to, and where might he be hiding given his dual citizenship with Jordan and Palestine?
Ismail Shalash is wanted for an elaborate wire fraud and money laundering scheme in which he sold luxury vehicles to car dealerships across multiple states, collected millions in payments, and never delivered the vehicles or issued refunds. Operating under his own name and the alias 'Armand Brigante' of MDDI Inc., Shalash defrauded at least 8 victims across 5 states for approximately $3.4 million. A federal arrest warrant was issued on September 30, 2021, by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and Shalash remains at large with known ties to Cincinnati, Ohio, and dual citizenship in Jordan and Palestine.
Case
#1003
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio; Federal Bureau of Investigation
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4Are there any patterns in the vehicle types, dealership locations, or timing of the fraud that could help predict his next target or movements?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Wire Fraud and Laundering of Money Instruments Caution: Ismail Shalash is wanted for his alleged role in money laundering. Shalash would sell luxury vehicles online to owners of privately owned car dealerships in various states and never produce the promised product upon receipt of payment.
Shalash would at times use the alias of “Armand Brigante” of MDDI Inc. to deceive victims into believing that Shalash and “Armand Brigante” were two separate individuals.
Shalash would then allegedly sell vehicles to car dealerships with the promise that the vehicle would be delivered. In most instances and when the victims believed an unreasonable amount of time passed for the purchased vehicles to be delivered, victims would aggressively try to contact Shalash to no avail or without remedy.
Ultimately, the vehicles were never delivered and the victims received no refund. Shalash attempted to allegedly defraud 8 victims in 5 different states for a total amount of approximately 3.4 million dollars.
Shalash allegedly defrauded 5 different victims in 4 different states for the approximate amount of 1.7 million dollars. On September 30, 2021, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Shalash after he was charged with wire fraud and laundering of money instruments by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Remarks: Shalash has dual citizenship with Jordan and Palestine. He also has ties to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Timeline of Events
🕵️
2021-09-30
Federal Arrest Warrant Issued
Ismail Shalash charged with wire fraud and laundering of money instruments by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:September 30, 2021
Last Updated:April 29, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:September 30, 2021
Last Updated:April 29, 2026