Manoucher Sarbaz is Still Propagating Lies (2024)

Originally Syndicated on June 13, 2024 @ 6:06 am

A few days ago, I had submitted a post on this site talking about a financial fraudster named Manoucher Sarbaz.

What alarmed me was his attempt at burying his past crimes by posting propaganda and misleading articles on different platforms.

However, it seems he didn’t stop there.

If you’d look up Manoucher Sarbaz, you’ll find a string of press releases and promotional material.

All of this is meant to hide the fact that he was sued for defrauding others.

It’s scary how wealthy scammers think they can simply get a “clean slate” by posting a few press releases.

Who is Manoucher Sarbaz?

Manoucher Sarbaz has been involved in several controversies, primarily related to legal and financial disputes. These controversies span various aspects of his professional life, including real estate development and legal battles with financial institutions.

The Legal and Financial Disputes of Manoucher Sarbaz

One of the notable controversies involving Manoucher Sarbaz is his involvement in a case with Banco Do Brasil, S.A. v. Latian, Inc., where he was one of the defendants. The case revolved around a dispute where Banco Do Brasil alleged that Sarbaz, along with others, denied all liability to the bank and affirmatively alleged that they had been substantially damaged by the bank’s actions. The defendants sought damages on several theories, including breach of an oral agreement, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and interference with prospective advantageous economic relationships.

Allegations of Securities Fraud

Another significant controversy is related to securities fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) found that Pacific Golf Community Development LLC and its manager, Manoucher Sarbaz, committed securities fraud. They were ordered to pay a total of $5.9 million in penalties. The court found that they misled purchasers of municipal bonds used to finance a portion of the planned Rancho Lucerne housing development and golf course in Lucerne Valley, California. Sarbaz and Pacific Golf were found to have misrepresented the value of land pledged as security for repayment of the bonds and had no reasonable basis for their projections regarding the sale of lots within the development.

Other Legal Actions Involving Manoucher Sarbaz

Sarbaz has also been involved in other legal actions, including a contract dispute case filed against him by Farshid Hekmat in the Los Angeles County Superior Courts[4]. Additionally, his professional profile indicates involvement with Hometown International Inc., where he serves as a board member.

Is Manoucher Sarbaz Attempting a Reputation Cleanup?

As I highlighted before, if you’d look him up, you’ll find a plethora of PR and promotional material. What he’s doing is a typical attempt of reputation laundering.

Reputation laundering is the practice of covering up or erasing misdeeds, negative business practices, or illegal actions of a company or individual. The key aspects of reputation laundering are:

• It is a niche industry that has grown up around the need for companies and individuals to change public perception of their actions. This includes PR firms, lawyers, lobbyists, and other “fixers” that help clients portray themselves in a more positive light. 
• Tactics used include making donations to universities, charities, and other institutions, aligning with sports teams, and using disinformation and “astroturfing” (creating fake grassroots movements) to obscure the truth. 
• Reputation laundering is different from legitimate reputation repair, which involves fixing real problems within a company and developing a positive image based on their actions. Laundering seeks to cover up illegal activities and bad practices. 
• Reputation laundering allows kleptocrats, oligarchs, and politically exposed persons to distance themselves from the illicit source of their wealth and transform their public image, making it difficult for compliance and law enforcement to detect any wrongdoing. 
• This practice undermines democratic institutions and norms by manipulating public perception and enabling the flow of tainted money into Western economies. Governments have been slow to address the “enablers” that facilitate reputation laundering. 

In summary, reputation laundering is an unethical industry that allows companies and individuals to cover up misdeeds and present a false positive image to the public. 

A popular example of reputation laundering is Israel’s PR on Gaza.

I recommend you read up on how Israel’s propaganda machine works and how it painted innocent Palestinians as terrorists.

Conclusion

The controversies surrounding Manoucher Sarbaz primarily involve legal disputes and allegations of financial misconduct, including securities fraud. These incidents highlight the complexities and challenges in his business dealings, particularly in real estate development and financial transactions.