Jordanian national sentenced in bribery scheme

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A Jordanian national has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for his role in a commercial bribery scheme and for violating federal tax and immigration laws. Fares Khraisat, 39, of Easton, was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Bridgeport. Judge Stefan R. Underhill also ordered him to pay a $30,000 fine and forfeit more than $3 million in cash, real estate and other items. Prosecutors say Khraisat owned a Bridgeport phone card company called Zam-Zam Telecard and paid more than $400,000 in bribes to receive favorable treatment from a company owned by co-defendant Jonathan Kaplan. Khraisat pleaded guilty in February to mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, making a false statement on an immigration application and making a false statement on a tax return. He has also admitted to providing,... [read full story]