US News

California father receives 212-year sentence for killing autistic sons in insurance scheme

A California father was sentenced to more than 200 years in prison for the attempted murder of his wife and killing of his two autistic sons by driving their family car off a wharf, the culmination of what prosecutors characterized as a long and “premeditated” plot to collect millions in life insurance money.

Ali Elmezayen, a Hawthorne native who at the time was facing money issues, took out close to $3 million in life and accidental death insurance for his entire family from eight different insurance companies between July 2012 and March 2013.

According to the Department of Justice, Elmezayen called the insurance companies many times to makes sure the policies were active and that no one would investigate claims if something happened to his wife and sons.

Then in April 2015, Elmezayen plunged his car, with both sons and his ex-wife inside, off the San Pedro wharf in Los Angeles.

Elmezayen managed to escape, while his ex-wife was saved by a passing fisherman, investigators said. Both sons, who were strapped into their seats, drowned.

Elmezayen later collected a $260,000 insurance policy that he had bought for his sons. According to the DOJ, he used part of the payout to buy a boat and real estate in Egypt, where Elmezayen is originally from.

US District Judge John F. Walter called Elmezayen “the ultimate phony and a skillful liar” and “nothing more than a greedy and brutal killer.”

Elmezayen was also found guilty on four counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and five counts of money laundering.