Continuing coverage
Our Columbus Bureau has been following this story for over a year. Our team will continue to cover it as developments happen.
Here’s a look at some our our past coverage:
The Ohio Supreme Court suspended the law license of Columbus area attorney Mohammed Noure Alo, who was convicted in December in the public corruption case involving the state treasurer’s office.
Alo pleaded guilty to wire fraud and has been awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Columbus. He could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI opened an investigation into the state treasurer’s office in late 2010 at the end of Democrat Kevin Boyce’s tenure. Initially they were looking at ties between deputy treasurer Amer Ahmad and Alo, who was hired as a lobbyist for Boston-based State Street Bank. Alo had no other lobbying experience and State Street Bank was up for a big contract with the treasurer’s office.
While looking at that relationship, the FBI uncovered a kickback scheme in which Ahmad steered work to a high school friend, Doug Hampton of Hampton Capital Management. Hampton made $3.2 million in commissions and kicked back $523,000 to Ahmad, Alo and a third man, Joseph Chiavaroli.
In April, Ahmad fled the U.S. but authorities in Lahore arrested him and charged him with traveling on fake identity documents. He is still detained in Pakistan and awaiting sentencing on those local charges. It is unclear if and when Ahmad will be returned to the U.S. to face sentencing here.
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