California, June 10 -- An Indian-origin lawful permanent resident has been arrested in the United States on federal charges of allegedly defrauding a bank of nearly USD 100 million by falsifying loan documents and manipulating records, according to US Attorney's Office officials.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, the accused, Mahender Makhijani, who controlled a Newport Beach-based firm, is alleged to have misled a victim bank by falsely claiming first-lien positions on real estate loans while other creditors reportedly held priority claims.

Prosecutors said the alleged fraud was carried out between September 2024 and April 2025, during which Makhijani and a subordinate are accused of forging ...