A dentist and two other men were arrested for allegedly strangling and kidnapping a man at a hotel in Las Vegas who reportedly owed $185,000 in sports gambling debts, according to a story published on June 19 in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Dr. Issa Hamade, a dentist who operates Awesome Dental Care in Livonia, MI, Ahmad Harb, and Sobhi Sobh were arrested on June 17 for suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy, battery with intent to commit mayhem, robbery or grand larceny, and coercion with force or threats. Hamade, Harb, a DJ, and Sobh, a physical therapist, were each granted $100,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with their alleged victim, according to the story.
Awesome Dental Care.
Hamade and Harb, both 32, and Sobh, 33, allegedly lured Naved Azim, of New York, to a hotel room on the Las Vegas Strip. Azim allegedly owed Harb $185,000 on fake sports bets. Azim was beaten, strangled, suffocated with a pillow, gagged, and held in a closet at the hotel, according to the story.
In a video call made to Azim’s father, the men purportedly showed Azim and demanded that the father pay them $185,000 to cover Azim's debts.
Furthermore, the trio allegedly took photos of the locations of Azim’s family and friends, their addresses, and contact information. The men allegedly told Azim they would hurt them if they were not paid back, according to the story.
Azim reportedly told police he made sports bets with a bookie, and that’s how he met Harb.
One time, Harb purportedly asked Azim to place a $2,300 wager on a New York Knicks basketball game, which ended up having a payout of $20,000. However, Azim never placed the bet but told Harb he did. Instead, Azim told authorities that he made a fake DraftKings betting ticket to reflect the debt, according to the story.
Harb allegedly continued to place bets with Azim, which he never made due to a lack of money.
Azim allegedly continued with the scam, thinking Harb would eventually lose and Azim would never have to pay him. However, Harb never lost, according to the story.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
