On October 19, 2007, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, indicted Farhad "Fred" Monem on twenty counts relating to an alleged bribery scheme. The charges stem from Monem's former employment as the food services administrator for the Oregon Department of Corrections. He faces conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering charges.
Monem speaks both Farsi and English. He is a naturalized American citizen. Monem is known to have traveled to Buffalo, New York, on July 1, 2007, and has ties to California, Canada, and Iran. It is alleged that he is a heavy user of marijuana, hashish, and alcohol. He also likes to gamble.