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A Ghanaian national by name Emmanuel Quamey has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme that defrauded over a dozen vulnerable and elderly victims in the United States, asaaseonline.com reports.
The sentencing, handed down by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon, also includes a forfeiture order of $3.3 million and restitution to the victims amounting to approximately $3.8 million.
Quamey, who pleaded guilty in October 2023 to conspiring to receive stolen money, was involved in laundering the proceeds of romance scams. These scams exploited the victims’ trust and desire for companionship, ultimately leading to significant financial loss.
Announcing the sentence, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, emphasised the severity of the crime.
“Romance scams are callous crimes in which perpetrators steal money from vulnerable and elderly victims by taking advantage of the victims’ trust and desire to form human connections,” Peace stated.
“This sentence serves as a warning to individuals like the defendant that there are real consequences to participating in these cruel scams. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing these fraudsters to justice and getting the victims’ money back.”
Peace also thanked the Special Agents of HSI New York for their exemplary work on the case.
Special Agent-in-Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, praised the efforts of the investigators.
Court filings reveal that between September 2019 and March 2023, Quamey and his network of co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme that received over $3.8 million in fraud proceeds from several vulnerable and elderly U.S. victims of romance scams.
Romance scams involve scammers posing as potential romantic partners on social media or internet dating sites.
They use fake personas to express strong romantic interest in the targeted victims, ultimately tricking them into sending money under false pretences. Victims are often convinced to wire money to bank accounts purportedly to assist their romantic partners.
Quamey’s role in the scam was to receive and launder the victims’ money. He personally received approximately $3.3 million, which was wired into bank accounts he controlled.
Utilizing more than a dozen bank accounts in the United States and Ghana, Quamey and his co-conspirators transferred the victims’ money overseas to Ghana.
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