Payza Founders Sentenced in $250M Money Laundering Case

The founders of digital payments processor Payza will serve year-plus prison terms and forfeit $4.5 million in seized assets for breaking federal money transmission laws, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Brothers Firoz and Ferhan Patel, both Canadian, had pleaded guilty in July to a lineup of financial crimes stemming from Payza, their international payments startup. Prosecutors said the unlicensed firm processed more than $250 million, including funds known to be associated with crime, an allegation the brothers ultimately admitted to.

On Tuesday, Firoz received a 36-month sentence and Ferhan an 18-month sentence from U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. Their company Payza (aka MH Pillars) will be in corporate probation for the next three years.