Omid Tahvili, 40, is sought on warrants by the RCMP for escaping custody and by the FBI for allegedly scamming $3 million from U.S. seniors in a telemarketing scheme.
Tahvili, who the FBI said might be hiding in Toronto, was an owner and operator of a Vancouver telemarketing business that ran from 1999 to 2002.
"The suspect has been evading police for three years," RCMP Sgt. Marc LaPorte said Monday. "He is a scam artist who is trying to hide his identity."
He said Tahvili, who was born in Iran, will be returned to B.C. to face new charges and finish his jail term. He then faces extradition to the U.S.
"The suspect can be arrested by any Canadian cop based on the warrant," LaPorte said. "This man is violent and should not to be approached."
The FBI alleged Tahvili and his co-conspirators told American victims they had either won or had a very good chance of winning a non-existent Canadian lottery, but that they would have to pay an advance fee in order to obtain the winnings.
None of the victims received any of the promised winnings.
One victim was asked for an initial sum of $700 and eventually told that she had won $1.2 million dollars. All she had to do was pay $5,000.
The elderly victim never received a penny and was allegedly bilked out of $20,000.
Police said a U.S. warrant was issued for Tahvili in 2003 for mail fraud, wire fraud, telemarketing fraud, and aiding and abetting.
Tahvili escaped from B.C.'s North Fraser Pretrial Centre in November 2007 by bribing a guard. He folded his clothes to form an outline of his body under a prison blanket to avoid letting guards know of his escape. He had been in custody since 2005 on an unrelated kidnap and assault charge.
The Mounties said Tahvili also has connections in Germany, Iran and Spain. They said he may have a moustache and goatee.
Police alleged Tahvili is the kingpin of an Iranian organized crime family in Canada which is connected to various international crime organizations.
At one time, dozens of Iranian expatriates were working for him, police said.
tom.godfrey@sunmedia.ca
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