VA Man Convicted of Scamming Banks for Millions Found Dead in MD

Osama El-Atari was convicted in 2010 for scamming banks out of more than $53 million.

The search for a missing Loudoun County, Virginia, man who was once convicted of scamming banks out of millions of dollars has turned into a Maryland murder investigation.

Osama El-Atari's body was found Saturday afternoon in a pickup truck in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He had been shot.

The 37-year-old's family reported him missing last week.

A former restaurant owner, El-Atari was convicted in 2010 for scamming banks out of more than $53 million. He presented fake life insurance policies claiming cash values in the millions as collateral for loans from banks in Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee and Maryland, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Phony domain names, emails and Federal Express mailings supported his fraudulent claims.

El-Atari flaunted his millions, living a lavish lifestyle, the FBI said. He bought Lamborghinis and Ferraris and a multimillion-dollar home in Ashburn.

He served only four years of his sentence after working as an informant and testifying in two high-profile cases.

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