A gambling dispute that started with an allegedly fake Knicks bet has ended with three Michigan men facing kidnapping and extortion charges in Las Vegas. Police say dentist Issa Hamade, DJ Ahmad Harb, and physical therapist Sobhi Sobh, all in their early 30s, lured New Yorker Naved Azim to an MGM Grand room, where he was beaten, strangled, gagged, and shoved into a closet as the men tried to force payment on what they claimed were gambling debts. According to a police report cited by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the trio demanded $185,000 from Azim's father during a video call showing Azim on his knees, injured; Harb later told investigators he believed he was owed $325,000 after a string of supposed winning sports bets.
Police say Azim admitted he never placed the wagers and instead fabricated a DraftKings ticket, assuming Harb would eventually lose enough to cover the lie. "However, that did not happen," police said. They allege the three suspects then threatened to kill Naved and hurt his family and friends, whose locations and addresses were taken from Azim's phone. Defense attorneys argued in court that there is "a lot to uncover," with Hamade's lawyer insisting his client had "zero involvement" beyond being present. All three men face up to life in prison on charges including first-degree kidnapping, extortion, and battery with intent to commit mayhem. They were granted $100,000 bail and ordered not to contact Azim, per Fox News.
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