Wajahat Ali's Parents Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Microsoft Fraud Case

Oakland, California – Mirza Ali and Sameena Ali, parents of prominent author and commentator Wajahat Ali, were sentenced to 60 months imprisonment in 2007 for their involvement in a scheme to defraud Microsoft Corporation. The couple, residents of Fremont, California, were convicted on 30 counts including conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering as part of "Operation Cyberstorm," a large-scale anti-piracy investigation. The Justice Department press release from 2007 detailed that the Alis obtained over $29 million worth of discounted academic software under false pretenses and resold it to non-academic entities, generating a profit exceeding $5 million.

The scheme involved forming nominee corporations to re-enter Microsoft's Authorized Education Reseller (AER) program after being removed for non-compliance. Wajahat Ali has publicly addressed his parents' legal troubles, stating in his memoir, "Go Back to Where You Came From," that they were "charged with 30 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in what authorities described as a scheme to defraud Microsoft of millions of dollars by obtaining discounted academic software under false pretenses." He also noted that he believes his parents, like many Muslims at the time, were unfairly targeted following the 9/11 attacks.

Further allegations regarding Wajahat Ali's background include his association with Hatem Bazian at UC Berkeley, where he reportedly led a raid on the school paper. Ali was also a host at Al Jazeera, where he allegedly "spewed anti-American propaganda" and formed a friendship with Mehdi Hasan, according to a recent social media post by Asra Nomani. Nomani's tweet also claims Ali was funded by George Soros's Open Society Foundations through John Podesta's Center for American Progress to author a report on "Islamophobia," which she states was used to "smear conservatives, Muslims and exMuslims."

Ali has held positions at various prominent media outlets, including CNN, the Daily Beast, and the New York Times. These roles are cited by Nomani as examples of Ali's ability to "mask his hate and ugliness with a charm and odd humor." The tweet concludes by referencing a "new video" that allegedly "reveals his ugly points of view." These claims highlight a contentious public discourse surrounding Ali's career and activism.