He was born the son of a prince. He boasts that his
companies developed multimillion-dollar properties across the globe — from St. Lucia to Southern California to the Middle East.
His
sprawling, 8,000-square-foot home in Russell Township, Ohio, complete
with horses and an in-ground swimming pool, and the sports cars attest
to the lifelong success of Ali Pascal Mahvi.
Yet there he was, waiting his turn, a prince becoming a pauper, asking for food stamps in Geauga County, Ohio. And, he got for himself, his wife, and their three adult children.
For
two years, the family was handed about $300 a month in government food
stamps. They also wanted help to pay their gas and electric bills. And
Medicaid.
Detectives
are now looking at Mahvi’s myriad bank accounts, trying to piece
together his family’s total worth as they investigate potential theft as
well as Medicaid and welfare fraud charges.
“It’s outrageous to
see a situation where somebody is living in a house almost worth a
million dollars, a horse barn, driving luxury cars, have millions of
dollars in overseas bank accounts and here they are accepting this type
of assistance,” said Geauga County Prosecutor James R. Flaiz.
“Certainly, they were very good at manipulating the system.”
Mahvi,
reached by phone, adamantly denied any wrongdoing. He said he
is "not a wealthy man" and that the investigation "is all a
misunderstanding."
He
said despite his appearance of wealth, he was and is eligible for aid.
Sad story. Just a thought.