A Fairfax County soccer coach used relationships built through a local youth league to scam at least 17 families out of approximately $70,000, promising a travel camp to Italy that never existed, according to Fairfax County Police.
Ahmed Mohamed, 31, faces 13 counts of embezzlement and 13 counts of computer fraud, the department announced Tuesday. Those charges reflect the initial group of victims identified. Each lost between $2,000 and $12,000.
Police said they identified four additional victims on July 14, the same day they announced the charges, meaning the total count of people affected has reached at least 17. Additional charges are possible.
Mohamed previously worked with the Alexandria Soccer Association, where he built trust with families before launching his own business, Sporting Soccer Academy, registered as an LLC in December 2025, police said. He then used that company to solicit payments for the fabricated trip.
"When he opened his own business, it, on paper, was a legitimate LLC and then used that LLC to defraud the victims," Lt. Michael Connor of Fairfax County Police told WTOP.
Connor said Mohamed's prior legitimate coaching work made the scheme harder for families to detect. The investigation began after police received a report through their Financial Crimes Online Reporting System on June 25.
Mohamed was arrested Tuesday, June 30, and booked at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He was later released.
How to report
Anyone who believes they were victimized by this scheme can call the Fairfax County Police Financial Crimes Unit at 703-246-3533. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 1-866-411-8477.
