A Florida real estate developer faces serious charges following the unsealing of a federal indictment on Friday. The indictment accuses him of masterminding an $85 million fraud scheme, neglecting substantial tax payments, and deceiving financial institutions to acquire a luxurious yacht.

Rishi Kapoor, 41, hailing from Miami, is under indictment for several offenses including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, tax-related crimes, and bank fraud. The charges additionally point to his failure to pay payroll taxes and file tax returns.

The indictment seeks the forfeiture of several luxury items, notably a Rolex Daytona watch and a 2.5-carat platinum ring.

Kapoor was at the helm of Location Ventures, a Miami-based real estate development firm that claimed it was spearheading projects in areas like Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.

A photograph dated August 14, 2023, captures the slip of developer Rishi Kapoor at the Cocoplum Yacht Club in Coral Gables, Florida, though the yacht’s current whereabouts remain unknown. (Photo by Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

According to court documents, Kapoor allegedly secured around $85 million from investors, yet the majority of the promised real estate developments were not realized.

Despite being entitled to a capped salary of $400,000 plus certain fees, Kapoor diverted substantially more funds for personal use, including the purchase of a 68-foot yacht and a house in Cocoplum, according to court documents.

Kapoor allegedly misrepresented to investors the amount of his personal financial contribution to Location Ventures, claiming he had invested $13 million alongside his business partner and family when, in reality, he contributed roughly half that amount.

The developer could spend decades in prison if convicted. (iStock)

He is also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriating those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.  

As a result, condominium projects in Coconut Grove and Miami Beach were never built.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said Kapoor withheld payroll taxes from employees, but failed to turn that money over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), “effectively stealing from his own employees.”

A real estate developer is accused of scamming investors out of millions. (iStock)

Court documents allege Kapoor diverted more than $2 million from company accounts for his personal benefit, and failed to pay his own personal taxes from 2019 through 2023, despite earning more than $2.8 million in income in 2022 and 2023.

Kapoor is also charged with falsifying bank statements to inflate his account balances, failing to disclose a significant mortgage on his Cocoplum residence, and misrepresenting that his tax returns had been filed with the IRS — all to obtain more than $9 million in financing. 

One bank extended a $5 million line of credit to Location Ventures, while another loaned Kapoor $4.2 million to finance the yacht purchase, according to the indictment.

If convicted, Kapoor faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud; up to 10 years for money laundering; up to five years for each count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., failure to pay payroll taxes, tax evasion, and failure to file tax returns; and up to 30 years for each count of bank fraud.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a civil action against Kapoor.

“These are serious allegations that will now be addressed in federal court,” Quiñones wrote in a statement. “The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Related Article