Ride-hailing service CEO faces Virgin Islands fraud charges

The CEO of a Boston ride-hailing company geared toward women is facing charges he defrauded the U.S. Virgin Islands' government out of more than $2 million.

The Boston Globe reports Syed Zain Gilani was arrested last week at Safr's Boston headquarters and will face charges July 7 in the Virgin Islands.

Law enforcement officials say Gilani and two top staffers at the USVI Bureau of Motor Vehicles arranged to take federal grant money but never completed required upgrades to the bureau's driver's license program. Gilani and the staffers face fraud-related charges.

Gilani's attorney told the Globe Gilani denies any wrongdoing. He says the charges stem from a 2011 "contract dispute" with one of Gilani's other companies and has "nothing to do" with Safr, which remains in operation.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com