A native of India, now a lawful resident in the United States, has been arrested on allegations he defrauded a bank out of nearly $100 million.

According to federal authorities, Mahender Makhijani, 44, of Corona del Mar, was taken into custody by law-enforcement officers.

“Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based company that had a lending agreement requiring it to pledge only first-lien real estate loans to the victim bank,” federal officials confirmed.

But, they charged, he falsified title policies from September 2024 to April 2025 to make it appear Cantor held first-lien positions when other creditors were ahead.

The government’s statement said, “Makhijani and a subordinate forged documents in Adobe, altered metadata, and submitted the falsified records to the victim bank, while also providing misleading explanations during calls and in spreadsheets.”

Mahender Makhijani, 44, a lawful permanent resident from India living in Corona del Mar, was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint charging him with defrauding a bank out of nearly $100 million.

Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based… pic.twitter.com/wEcSe5mQpW

— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 10, 2026

A report at the Gateway Pundit said the bank advanced funds over and over “so Cantor could originate or purchase real estate loans.”

“Instead of playing straight, Makhijani and a subordinate spent months from September 2024 through April 2025 systematically falsifying title insurance policies,” the report said.

“They used Adobe software to doctor the documents, making it appear Cantor held first-lien positions when other creditors were actually ahead in line. They altered or stripped metadata — including by printing out the fakes and rescanning them — then submitted the bogus records to the bank.”

“Today’s arrest highlights the strength of IRS Criminal Investigation’s financial expertise. As alleged, Mr. Makhijani falsified title insurance records, concealed true lien positions, and used a network of shell companies to mislead a federally insured bank out of nearly $100 million,” explained Darren Lian, acting special agent in charge in the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles field office.