Former Ohio Deputy Treasurer Amer Ahmad (D) was arrested at a Pakistani airport earlier this week. Last Thursday, his wife sought an emergency order of protection because she was concerned that Ahmad would kidnap their children and take them to Pakistan. He was carrying a fake Mexican passport.
In December, Ahmad pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery when he was working for former Democratic State Treasurer Kevin Boyce. He was using his position as part of a kickback and money laundering scheme which steered $3.2 million in commissions to his financial advisor and high school friend, Douglas Hampton. Ahmad and two co-conspirators received $523,000 in kickbacks.
Hampton also funneled cash to lobbyist Mohammed Noure Alo. Hampton pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in August while Alo admitted guilt in December.
The Justice Department said that Alo admitted that he conspired with Ahmad and mortgage broker Joseph M. Chiavaroli, 33, of Chicago, to steer state brokerage business to Douglas Hampton, 39, a Canton securities broker. Justice Department officials said Hampton received $3.2 million in commissions for 360 trades on behalf of the treasurer’s office. In return, the Justice Department said, Hampton paid more than $500,000 to Ahmad and his co-conspirators.
After Boyce was tossed out by voters in 2010, Democrat Ahmad took the skills he learned in the Treasurer’s office and became a City of Chicago Comptroller under Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
In 2008, then Governor Strickland was confident enough in Kevin Boyce’s experience and decision making abilities to appoint him to be Treasurer of the State of Ohio. While Ahmad awaits extradition to the United States from Pakistan, Boyce is serving in the Ohio House of Representatives where he was appointed in 2012 when Democrat Carlton Weddington resigned after being charged with bribery. He won his election to retain the seat in 2012.
