Jurors deliberated for a few hours before convicting a University of Minnesota professor of falsifying the value of his retirement nest egg in an attempt to cheat his former wife out of her share.
Massoud Amin, 57, was convicted Friday of one count of attempted theft by swindle over $35,000 and two counts of aggravated forgery.
The jurors found several of what the law calls "aggravating factors" in the case that opens the way for prosecutors to seek a sentence harsher than what state guidelines recommend, including multiple incidents of theft by swindle over a long period of time and potential losses of more than $100,000. Other aggravating factors were rejected.
"We are pleased by the jury's quick decision," said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. "Not only was he trying to cheat his wife out of what was rightfully hers, but he also was deceiving the court in his filings. Apparently, because he was one of the top people in his field, he thought he could outsmart police and the courts. He was wrong, and we will now ask the judge for a tough sentence."
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 9.
Amin is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the director of the Technological Leadership Institute.
The U "is aware of the court decision, and will be reviewing the matter," a spokesperson said.
Amin has been with the university since March 2003 and is an expert in smart grids and infrastructure security. He has professional and consulting experience with McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, NASA, Rockwell International and various federal agencies, including the departments of Defense and Energy.