Man gets jail time in model agency fraud

By Sarah Gantz, Globe Correspondent

A man who defrauded his clients at a Needham modeling agency was sentenced yesterday to 2 1/2 years in jail after his conviction on larceny and fraud charges.

Edriss Farazi of Framingham, the 29-year-old former owner of Marvel Models, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of larceny over $250 and several other charges, including unemployment fraud and workers’ compensation fraud.

A Norfolk County judge ordered him to serve six months, while suspending the remainder of his sentence.

Prosecutors said Farazi stole approximately $10,000 from 13 aspiring models by charging them fees while misleading them to believe the agency was larger and more successful than it was.

Co-defendant Kevin Caruso, 30, formerly of Natick and now of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny and received two years of probation.

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