A Florida telecom executive will spend the next five years behind bars after admitting to one of the largest fraud schemes in the history of the Federal Communications Commission. The case centers on the infamous “Obama phone” program — a taxpayer-funded initiative meant to provide low-cost mobile service to low-income Americans.
The convicted fraudster, 51-year-old Issa Asad, was the CEO of Q Link Wireless LLC, a company that was supposed to connect struggling families with affordable phone service. Instead, prosecutors say he turned the program into his personal cash machine.
According to the Department of Justice, Asad and Q Link pled guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and steal federal funds from the Lifeline program — a government subsidy that was drastically expanded under Barack Obama. The program became a hot-button issue during the 2012 election after a viral clip showed a woman bragging about her “Obama phone.”
While some telecom providers embraced the political nickname, the federal government officially rejected it. But behind the scenes, according to prosecutors, Asad was exploiting the system on a massive scale.
>> Click Here To Continue Reading <<
