Miami Developer Gets 11 Years in Prison for $89M Investor Fraud

A real estate developer in Miami was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison after defrauding investors out of approximately $89 million.

Rishi Kapoor, 41, used investor money to fund a lavish lifestyle, making purchases including a 2.8-carat diamond ring, a 68-foot yacht, and a $5.9 million home in the exclusive Cocoplum neighborhood of Coral Gables, FL, federal prosecutors say.

After pleading guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to fail to pay payroll taxes, Kapoor was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore on Aug. 27.

“Rishi Kapoor raised approximately $89 million from investors by promising real estate developments, then diverted millions of dollars to fund his own lavish lifestyle,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement. “Kapoor will now spend more than 11 years in federal prison for a years-long scheme built on deception, greed, and the misuse of other people’s money.”

Kapoor was the CEO of Location Ventures, a Miami-based real estate development company that promoted projects in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, according to court records. Through the company, Kapoor raised roughly $89 million from investors, but most of the projects were never built.

Instead of using the investor funds for their intended purpose, Kapoor pocketed millions for his own use, according to his signed plea agreement.

The developer made misrepresentations to escrow agents to release pre-construction condominium deposits and used the funds for himself or unrelated projects.

Additionally, Kapoor withheld approximately $1.3 million in payroll taxes from the employees of Location Ventures but failed to pay the taxes to the IRS.

According to Kapoor’s indictment document, his salary at Location Ventures was between $300,000 and $400,000. However, between 2018 and 2023, he received more than $6 million from the company and its projects.

The misappropriated funds were used for a variety of extravagant purchases, including a 68-foot 2023 Princess motor yacht costing approximately $5.3 million, a 2.8-carat platinum ring and accompanying gold bands, and a waterfront mansion.

The mansion was located at 7233 Los Pinos Blvd. in Coral Gables’ exclusive Cocoplum neighborhood. Kapoor purchased the $5.9 million home in 2021, according to The Real Deal. The 6,069-square-foot home featured five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms.

In addition to making purchases with investor funds that he’d funneled into his own accounts, Kapoor purchased an 18-karat gold Daytona Rolex watch with the Location Development credit card for $79,050 in 2021.

In May, Kapoor pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States by failing to pay payroll taxes. He also pleaded guilty to one money-laundering charge in which he transferred $820,559 from his personal account to make a down payment on the yacht.

Between the two counts, he faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. While Kapoor and his lawyers hoped for 121 months, the judge decided to follow the prosecution’s recommendation of a 136-month sentence.

In addition to his sentence, Kapoor agreed to forfeit purchases made with misappropriated funds, including the platinum ring, as well as pay restitution to victims of his actions.

“The Defendant agrees to make full restitution to all victims of the offenses charged in the indictment. Further, the Defendant agrees to pay restitution to any of his victims for the entire scope of his criminal conduct,” reads Kapoor’s plea agreement.

This restitution could include over $800,000 owed to the IRS and more than $70 million to his company’s investment victims.

Realtor.com reached out to Kapoor’s attorney for a comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.