The United States Department of Justice (BOJ) has sentenced a Ghanaian man Wigbert Bandie to over five years for his involvement in an international wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims of over $2 million.
The DOJ, in a statement issued on its website, revealed that Bandie and his accomplices used false identities on social media, dating websites, and other platforms to form online relationships with their victims, many of whom were elderly.
The 34-year-old, after being found guilty, was sentenced to 63 months by United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan in Knoxville, Tennessee on Tuesday, November 26, 2024.
Additionally, Wigbert Bandie is expected to repay $2.18 million in restitution to his 11 victims and will serve three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, Bandie played various roles in exploiting connections under false identities to convince unsuspecting individuals to send them money via wire, check, U.S. mail, and package delivery services.
“The relationships usually developed quickly through social media contact, text messages, email, and phone calls. Once the victim was clearly engaged in the scam, the scammer would begin to ask for emergency financial assistance or dupe victims into non-existent investment opportunities,” the DOJ stated.
“If the victim sent money, the scammer would ask for increasingly larger amounts of financial assistance. There were victims throughout the United States who each lost amounts ranging from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. For example, one victim who resided in the Eastern District of Tennessee lost over $280,000 to this scheme over the course of several months,” it added.
The DOJ also added that other co-conspirators in the fraud scheme functioned as “money mules” as they worked in conjunction with other members of the conspiracy to move the financial proceeds of the scams from the United States to overseas through bank wire transfers or through the mail.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III lauded the efforts of law enforcement, particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Special Agent Matthew R. Short led the investigation.
A 34 year old man from Ghana, Wigbert Bandie, has been ordered to pay $2.18 million to 11 victims he scammed using social media and online dating apps.
— CediRates (@CediRates) November 27, 2024
He has been sentenced to more than 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to scamming victims including one person who sent… pic.twitter.com/U2TWLXM5Aq
See the full statement below:
Ghanaian Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Two-Million Dollar International Wire Fraud Conspiracy
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – On November 26, 2024, Wigbert Bandie, 34, currently of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to 63 months by United States District Judge, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Bandie will be on supervised release for three years. Bandie was also ordered to repay $2.18 million in restitution to the 11 victims in this case.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bandie pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343.
According to the filed court papers, Bandie, along with members of the conspiracy, assumed false identities on social media, dating websites, and other internet-based platforms in a scheme to trick primarily elderly victims into entering friendships and romantic relationships. Bandie then played various roles in exploiting those connections to convince individuals to send them money via wire, check, U.S. mail, and package delivery services.
As part of the conspiracy, romance scammers or “handlers” posed as potential friends or romantic partners and entered online relationships with unwitting victims, many of whom were elderly. The relationships usually developed quickly through social media contact, text messages, email, and phone calls. Once the victim was clearly engaged in the scam, the scammer would begin to ask for emergency financial assistance or dupe victims into non-existent investment opportunities. If the victim sent money, the scammer would ask for increasingly larger amounts of financial assistance. There were victims throughout the United States who each lost amounts ranging from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. For example, one victim who resided in the Eastern District of Tennessee lost over $280,000 to this scheme over the course of several months.
Other co-conspirators functioned as “money mules” in the conspiracy. That is, they worked in conjunction with other members of the conspiracy to move the financial proceeds of the scams from the United States overseas through bank wire transfers or through the mail.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Matthew R. Short.
Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne H. Sullivan represented the United States.
MA
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