Orland Park Freight Company Owner Raed Naser Charged in $4 Million Fake-Invoice and Bakery Franchise Schemes

Case from 2026 (U.S. Attorney's Office release: May 8, 2026). Published on Scammers.com Oct. 16, 2026; case status is current as of that date.

Raed Naser, 41, of Crown Point, Indiana, owner of an Orland Park, Illinois, freight transport company, was charged in an indictment unsealed May 6, 2026, with 11 counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering in two schemes that allegedly netted him more than $4 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced [1].

Important: Naser is charged only. He has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

How the alleged schemes worked

According to the indictment as summarized by prosecutors [1]:

1. Fake freight invoices: Naser's company allegedly submitted false invoices for freight shipping that never happened.
2. Inflated franchises: He allegedly sold bakery franchises to an unsuspecting buyer after fraudulently inflating their value.
3. Laundering: He allegedly laundered the proceeds by buying, among other things, a Lamborghini Huracan, a BMW M8 Gran Coupe and a Cadillac Escalade.

The person charged

Raed Naser, 41, Crown Point, Ind. [1]

• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, assigned to U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.
• Charges: 11 counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.
• Plea: not guilty at arraignment May 6, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman; a status hearing was set for June 10, 2026.
• Investigation: FBI Chicago Field Office and U.S. Postal Inspection Service; prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.

Red flags when buying a franchise or business

• Revenue figures you can't verify with tax returns, bank statements and supplier records.
• Pressure to close quickly before an independent accountant reviews the books.
• A seller who controls all the financial records and resists outside review.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Hire an independent accountant and lawyer to review any business or franchise purchase.
2. Check the franchise disclosure document and talk to other franchisees.
3. Report suspected business fraud to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
Raed Naser, 41, Crown Point, Ind.	N.D. Ill. (Judge Coleman)	Indicted on 11 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of money laundering; pleaded not guilty May 6, 2026; no later outcome found in public sources as of Oct. 16, 2026	[1], [2]

An indictment is an accusation, not evidence of guilt.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Federal Indictment Charges Suburban Chicago Businessman With Orchestrating $4 Million Fraud Schemes," May 8, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/federal-indictment-charges-suburban-chicago-businessman-orchestrating-4-million-fraud
2. Indictment, United States v. Raed Naser (N.D. Ill.). https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/media/1440166/dl?inline=

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