Former Instagram Influencer “Jay Mazini” Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Investment Scams
Former Instagram influencer “Jay Mazini” sentenced to seven years in prison for multi-million dollar investment scams
In a shocking turn of events, former Instagram influencer Jebara Igbara, known as “Jay Mazini,” has been sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting to stealing millions of dollars in various investment scams. The 28-year-old from New Jersey pleaded guilty to fraud charges, confessing to creating a Ponzi scheme that involved cryptocurrency frauds totaling around $8 million.
Igbara exploited the economic chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic to leverage connections in the Muslim community, gathering investments for his firm Hallal Capital LLC. He promised returns on stocks, as well as the reselling of electronics and personal protective equipment. However, prosecutors revealed that the money funded a lavish lifestyle filled with luxury cars and excessive gambling.
Prosecutors condemned Igbara for targeting his own religious community and taking advantage of their trust in him for personal gain. Despite his fraudulent activities, Igbara managed to amass a following of around 1 million Instagram followers by showcasing cash giveaways and extravagant displays of wealth.
The former influencer’s downfall began in 2020 when online sleuths accused him of fraud, leading to his arrest in 2021 on kidnapping charges. Igbara later admitted to kidnapping a potential witness to his crimes. Despite his actions, some victims turned to the FBI, reporting losses of over $100,000 in Bitcoin due to his schemes.
During his sentencing in a Brooklyn federal court, Igbara apologized to his victims, expressing remorse for his actions. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud, to run concurrently with a five-year prison term for kidnapping. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $10 million in restitution to his victims.
While Igbara’s social media accounts have been mostly scrubbed, his story lives on in documentaries and online compilations. The saga of “Jay Mazini” serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of online influence and the consequences of fraudulent behavior.
