A Scots-born businessman who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for carrying out a luxury car fraud is bidding to become a US congressman.

Afzal ‘Bobby’ Khan fled the States and spent more than five years on the run before he was jailed for conning a string of customers and financial firms at a motor dealership he ran in New Jersey.

The 44-year-old, originally from Edinburgh, handed himself into authorities in the United Arab Emirates in February 2020 and was flown back to America.

He admitted a massive fraud involving super cars including Lamborghinis, Porsches and Rolls Royces and was sentenced to two years in prison in September 2022.

Khan was released after serving eight months and has reinvented himself as a would-be politician after moving to Las Vegas.

He is standing as an independent candidate in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District in November’s US midterm elections for the House of Representatives.

Khan, who still maintains his innocence, said his experience with the justice system inspired him to enter politics.

He has embraced his criminal record in campaign materials with his official website featuring ‘Wanted for Congress’ posters.

His platform includes ending taxes for veterans, no taxes for gambling winnings and prison reform.

In a campaign video in which he stands in front of a prison cell, he says: ‘They came after me and tried to lock me up for something that could have been handled in civil court.

‘Now I’m one of 80 million Americans with a criminal record. I lived the American dream and I lost it - that’s why I get it.

‘I know what it feels like to fight, I know what it feels like to lose everything and I know what it feels like to win.

‘I’m not running from my past, I’m running for Congress because of it. I’m going to fight the system that has been screwing Americans for ages.’

Khan said he accepted a deal to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud because he thought he wouldn’t get a fair trial and would end up spending many years in prison.

The flamboyant businessman opened the Emporio Motor Group in New Jersey in 2013 and maintained a high profile.

He appeared on US reality TV series ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ and counted members of the show’s cast among his clients.

The US District Court of New Jersey heard he obtained loans from a bank for cars that he never delivered, but for which the purchaser was still responsible.

He also received loans for cars that were delivered, but for which neither he nor Emporio had title documents. As a result, the purchasers of these cars were liable for the loan, but could not register the vehicles.

Khan also offered to sell cars for customers, and then neither returned the cars nor provided any money from sales.

The offences took place between December 2013 and September 2014 and he was ordered to pay his victims £2.8million in restitution after being convicted.

Khan was born in Edinburgh to Pakistani parents and moved to the US more than 30 years ago.

Police and the FBI attempted to arrest him at his New Jersey home in October 2014, but could not locate him.

He was placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted ‘white collar criminals’ list.