Scots fraudster once on FBI’s Most Wanted list bids to become American congressman
Afzal "Bobby" Khan, a Scottish-born businessman once listed among the FBI's Most Wanted for luxury car fraud, is now running as an independent candidate for Congress in Nevada's 1st District. The 44-year-old, originally from Edinburgh, spent more than five years on the run before surrendering to authorities in the United Arab Emirates in 2020 and being extradited to the US, where he admitted wire fraud connected to a New Jersey car dealership. He has openly incorporated his criminal past into his campaign, using "Wanted for Congress" imagery and framing his prosecution as evidence he understands a justice system he says needs reform.
Khan opened Emporio Motor Group in New Jersey in 2013, gaining a high profile through appearances on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" before it emerged he had taken loans for supercars, including Lamborghinis, Porsches and Rolls-Royces, that were never delivered or lacked proper title documents, leaving customers liable for undelivered or unregistered vehicles. He was sentenced to two years in prison in September 2022, served eight months, and was ordered to pay £2.8 million in restitution, but maintains his innocence. Having relocated to Las Vegas, he is campaigning on policies including ending taxes for veterans and gambling winnings, and prison reform, ahead of November's US midterm elections.
- Ex-FBI Most Wanted fraudster Bobby Khan now runs for US Congress
- Jailed in 2022 over New Jersey supercar dealership fraud scheme
- Campaigns as Nevada independent, citing his own justice system experience
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The FBI is a US federal law enforcement agency, and its Most Wanted list publicises people sought for serious crimes. Afzal “Bobby” Khan, who grew up in Edinburgh, ran a luxury car dealership in New Jersey that drew attention after customers said they had paid for vehicles they never received or could not register.
Khan later admitted wire fraud, a crime involving schemes carried out through electronic communications. He was sentenced to prison and ordered to repay customers; he continues to maintain his innocence. He has since moved to Las Vegas and is campaigning on issues including prison reform.
The US Congress is the national legislature, and its House of Representatives includes members elected from districts such as Nevada’s 1st. Khan is running as an independent, meaning he is not standing as the candidate of a major political party. His campaign has made his criminal case part of its message about the justice system.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Khan has completed his criminal sentence and is unusually transparent about his past rather than concealing it, which demonstrates integrity in owning his history. Those who have paid their debt to society should retain the right to participate in democracy, and his direct experience of the criminal justice system could provide genuinely valuable insights for prison reform. Voters in a free society must ultimately be trusted to weigh such considerations themselves; denying political candidacy to all convicted individuals would be an unjustifiable restriction on democratic participation.
The case against
Wire fraud convictions appropriately raise serious questions about whether someone possesses the trustworthiness and integrity expected of an elected official. Particularly concerning is Khan's continued insistence on his innocence despite conviction, suggesting he has not genuinely reckoned with the harm caused to customers he defrauded. His campaign's branding around his criminal notoriety, rather than demonstrating authentic remorse, appears to trivialise serious fraud, which itself raises worrying questions about his character and judgment.