Date: Jun 04, 2014 Source: bizjournals (
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Two Pinellas County scientists are accused of fraud, identity theft and falsification of records in a federal grand jury indictment.
The indictment accuses Mahmoud "Matt" Aldissi and Anastassia Bogomolova with fraudulently obtaining about $10 million worth of research contracts from the federal government through their companies, Fractal Systems Inc. and Smart Polymers Research Corp., both at the same address in Belleair Beach.
Aldissi and Bogomolova allegedly submitted research funding proposals using stolen identities to create false endorsements for their proposed contracts, a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida said. They also are accused of proposing identity theft victims as consultants and subcontractors without their knowledge and without actually using them on the contracts, as well as lying about their facilities, costs, principal investigators and certifications, the statement said.
If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The federal government also is seeking a money judgment of $10 million and asking they forfeit a 2012 silver BMW and cash seized from several accounts at various financial service firms.
Fractal Systems was described by Aldissi as a future materials and future devices company, in a February 2003 news report in Tampa Bay Business Journal. Aldissi was described as holding a doctorate in polymer science in that report.
