BROOKLYN, NY – A Ghanaian national was sentenced to 48 months in prison for his role in receiving and laundering stolen money obtained through romance scams that defrauded over a dozen vulnerable and elderly victims in the United States.
Emmanuel Quamey, 36, of Accra, Ghana, was ordered to pay $3.3 million in forfeiture and restitution to the victims, who were scammed out of approximately $3.8 million. Quamey pleaded guilty in October 2023 to conspiring to receive stolen money for his role in the romance scams.
“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,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “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.”
As set forth in court filings, between September 2019 and March 2023, Quamey and a network of co-conspirators received over $3.8 million in fraud proceeds that were stolen from several vulnerable and elderly U.S. victims of romance scams. A “romance scam” is a type of online financial fraud that occurs when an individual user of social media or an internet dating website is targeted for fraud by a scammer posing as a potential romantic partner.
Quamey was responsible for receiving and laundering the victims’ money. He personally received approximately $3.3 million of the victims’ money that was wired into bank accounts he directly controlled. Using more than a dozen bank accounts in the United States and Ghana, Quamey and his co-conspirators would then transfer the victims’ money overseas to Ghana.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon C. Jones and Genny Ngai are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Jacob Menz. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters in the case.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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