Federal prosecutors have unsealed a grand jury indictment accusing Omar Navarro, a candidate for a Los Angeles County congressional seat in four federal elections, of misusing campaign funds. Navarro, aged 34, is facing a 43-count indictment. While he is currently in state custody for unrelated charges, he is expected to be transferred to federal authorities soon.
In this case, the FBI has also arrested Dora Asghari, aged 59, of Torrance (Navarro’s mother), and Zacharias Diamantides-Abel, aged 34, of Long Beach (a friend of Navarro). Both are accused of conspiring with Navarro to divert campaign donations for personal use.
Navarro’s unsuccessful campaigns in the past four election cycles targeted California’s 43rd Congressional District. The indictment, returned on September 14 and unsealed recently, alleges that from September 2017 to July 2020, Navarro illegally redirected campaign funds for personal gain. The scheme involved Navarro making payments from his campaign to various individuals, including Asghari and Abel, who then transferred the money back to him for personal use.
Navarro is also accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses, including trips to Las Vegas and wine country, as well as payments to two criminal defense attorneys. These expenditures were falsely reported as campaign expenses to the Federal Election Commission.
Asghari and Abel allegedly concealed Navarro’s misuse of campaign funds by frequently cashing checks rather than depositing them into their personal bank accounts. When they did deposit the checks, they often withdrew the funds to share with Navarro.
Between December 2017 and June 2020, Abel and Asghari are said to have received $49,260 and $58,625, respectively, from Navarro’s campaign. Asghari is also alleged to have created a shell company to facilitate her receipt of campaign payments and transfers to Navarro and his own shell company.
The indictment also reveals that from January 2018 through July 1, 2020, Navarro deposited over $100,000 in cash into his personal accounts, despite having no other source of income aside from campaign funds. He frequently made these deposits after Abel or Asghari cashed campaign checks. Navarro is further accused of forming a sham charity called the United Latino Foundation as another means to embezzle campaign funds for personal use.
All three defendants face a conspiracy charge. Navarro faces additional charges, including wire fraud, falsification of records, and prohibited use of campaign funds. Asghari is charged with wire fraud, and Abel faces wire fraud charges as well.
An indictment represents allegations of a crime, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, Navarro, Asghari, and Abel could face significant prison sentences, including up to five years for the conspiracy charge, up to 20 years for each wire fraud count, and up to 20 years for each falsification of records count. Navarro could also face up to five years for each count of prohibited use of campaign contributions.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are jointly investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis and Thomas F. Rybarczyk are prosecuting it.
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