Angela Harkness
Encyclopedia
Fatemeh Karimkhani is a convicted scam artist. Her biggest scheme was the infamous Angela's Motorsports NASCAR
team in 2003. Angela Harkness was sentenced to 40 months in prison on May 25, 2007.
, lost his seat on the bench and the ability to practice law. Harkness accused her of self-abuse, abusive behavior toward him and addictions to drugs and pornography, but to no avail. She gave birth to a baby in November 2000. Four months later, Harkness left his wife after another fight, and a few days afterward was found dead in a Palm Desert, California
hotel room of an apparent suicide.
bank branch. The two became lovers, and Jones, who was married, later moved in with her. Authorities say the couple wrote fraudulent checks and obtained bank loan
s with bogus applications in their relatives' names.
Harkness suggested that they form a new minority-owned NASCAR team, which would attract multi-million dollar sponsorships. Purchasing cars from Robert Yates Racing, the two assembled a championship-caliber team in crew chief Harold Holly, general manager Clyde McLeod, and popular driver Mike McLaughlin. The team made its debut at the season-closing Ford 300
in the NASCAR Busch Series
in 2002. Kevin Lepage
and Jay Sauter
piloted the machines. When they tested in 2003 with McLaughlin, they were fastest. But Jones and Harkness could not produce the $6,000,000 they needed to remain in business, and their checks began to bounce.
Harkness threatened their sponsor, Wired Flyer.com, (a now-defunct internet travel agency) to pay $350,000 or face legal action. RYR owner Robert Yates caught on and was able to get his equipment back; but not all investors were able to recoup their losses. Shortly thereafter, Jones and Harkness fled and the team dissolved after the season-opening race.
McLeod, Holly and other teams members continued in racing with other NASCAR teams.
NASCAR instituted the Drive for Diversity
program to introduce opportunities for minorities and women to enter the sport. The program includes a screening process so that a fraud like that perpetrated by Harkness could be prevented.
and embezzlement
from Wells Fargo Bank, perjury
, money laundering
and conspiracy
. Harkness entered a plea agreement for fraud and agreed to testify against Jones, but fled the country prior to sentencing. After a long manhunt, she was finally arrested in 2005 in Dubai
, her Iranian passport was confiscated, and she was ordered not to leave that country, pending her return to the U.S. She was arrested in April 2007 by United States Marshals upon arrival from the United Arab Emirates
in New York City, and was tried in Central Texas. She was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
team in 2003. Angela Harkness was sentenced to 40 months in prison on May 25, 2007.
Early life
Karimkhani was the youngest of at least seven daughters (and three sons) of an Iranian civil servant and military officer who fled to Germany in about 1979 after the Shah's government there collapsed. In about 1995, she moved to the United States. Soon after she found a job as a stripper in California. She married Rayford Tyler Jr. in a scam intended to gain her citizenship; this would be the first of at least three attempts (all unsuccessful) to become a U.S. citizen. In May 1996, the 21-year-old Karimkhani met a 40-year-old judge named Dion Harkness. Despite their constant bickering, they moved in together and later married, even though Karimkhani never divorced from her first husband. On three occasions, Karimkhani accused Harkness of domestic violence, and sought to have him arrested. Despite his proclamation of innocence, Harkness, who had no prior criminal recordCriminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
, lost his seat on the bench and the ability to practice law. Harkness accused her of self-abuse, abusive behavior toward him and addictions to drugs and pornography, but to no avail. She gave birth to a baby in November 2000. Four months later, Harkness left his wife after another fight, and a few days afterward was found dead in a Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
hotel room of an apparent suicide.
Angela's Motorsports
Karimkhani, now calling herself Angela Harkness without benefit of a legal name change, claimed to have served a variety of occupations. Among them included a kindergarten teacher, trophy girl, motocross champion, and a wealthy heiress, among many others. In the fall of 2001, at an Austin, Texas, strip club where she worked as a stripper, she met Gary D. Jones, a vice-president of a Wells FargoWells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
bank branch. The two became lovers, and Jones, who was married, later moved in with her. Authorities say the couple wrote fraudulent checks and obtained bank loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
s with bogus applications in their relatives' names.
Harkness suggested that they form a new minority-owned NASCAR team, which would attract multi-million dollar sponsorships. Purchasing cars from Robert Yates Racing, the two assembled a championship-caliber team in crew chief Harold Holly, general manager Clyde McLeod, and popular driver Mike McLaughlin. The team made its debut at the season-closing Ford 300
Ford 300
The Ford 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race is part of the NASCAR Ford Championship Weekend, and is the final race of the season for the Nationwide Series....
in the NASCAR Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
in 2002. Kevin Lepage
Kevin Lepage
Kevin Lepage is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #52 car, for Jimmy Means Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Lepage is the only NASCAR driver from Vermont to qualify for the Daytona 500.-Early career:...
and Jay Sauter
Jay Sauter
Jay Sauter is a NASCAR driver. He previously drove the #34 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Frank Cicci Racing in the Busch Series. Sauter is the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter, and the brother of fellow drivers Tim Sauter and Johnny Sauter...
piloted the machines. When they tested in 2003 with McLaughlin, they were fastest. But Jones and Harkness could not produce the $6,000,000 they needed to remain in business, and their checks began to bounce.
Harkness threatened their sponsor, Wired Flyer.com, (a now-defunct internet travel agency) to pay $350,000 or face legal action. RYR owner Robert Yates caught on and was able to get his equipment back; but not all investors were able to recoup their losses. Shortly thereafter, Jones and Harkness fled and the team dissolved after the season-opening race.
Fallout
With all the quality driver positions filled, McLaughlin's racing career came to a halt. He became a development driver coach for Joe Gibbs Racing, and opened his own racing fabrication business. As of 2009, Mike is also building bobsleds for the Bo-Dyn project, supplier of sleds to the US Olympic team.McLeod, Holly and other teams members continued in racing with other NASCAR teams.
NASCAR instituted the Drive for Diversity
Drive for Diversity
The Drive for Diversity program is a development system instituted by NASCAR in 2004 in order to attract minorities and women to the sport in positions such as ownership, driving and crew members. Before an applicant is accepted into the program, their resumes are checked by NASCAR officials...
program to introduce opportunities for minorities and women to enter the sport. The program includes a screening process so that a fraud like that perpetrated by Harkness could be prevented.
Final days on the run
Jones was found operating a sports grill and was arrested for fraudFraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
from Wells Fargo Bank, perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
, money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
and conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
. Harkness entered a plea agreement for fraud and agreed to testify against Jones, but fled the country prior to sentencing. After a long manhunt, she was finally arrested in 2005 in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, her Iranian passport was confiscated, and she was ordered not to leave that country, pending her return to the U.S. She was arrested in April 2007 by United States Marshals upon arrival from the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
in New York City, and was tried in Central Texas. She was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison.