US court sentences Ghanaian over $2 million fraud scheme

Wigbert Bandie, a 34-year-old Ghanaian, was sentenced to more than five years in prison for orchestrating an international wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims of more than $2 million.

According to Justice.gov, Bandie was sentenced to 63 months in prison by United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Following his incarceration, he will be sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay $2.18 million in restitution to his 11 victims.

According to the report, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that Bandie and his accomplices used fake identities on social media, dating sites and other platforms to establish online relationships with their victims, many of whom were elderly.

“Once the victim is clearly involved in the scam, the scammer will begin asking for emergency financial assistance or direct victims to non-existent investment opportunities,” the Justice Department said.

He noted that one victim in East Tennessee alone lost more than $280,000 due to this scheme, while other victims across the country lost amounts ranging from several thousand to several hundred thousand dollars.

The operation, led by Special Agent Matthew R. Short, involved co-conspirators posing as “money couriers” who facilitated the transfer of funds from the United States to offshore accounts via wire transfer or mail.

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III praised the efforts of law enforcement, particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to bring the perpetrators to justice.

JKB/AE

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