Bertrand Awah Essem, Bank Fraud Scheme, Maryland 2024

Bertrand Awah Essem, a 27-year-old resident of Beltsville, Maryland, was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for conspiring to commit bank fraud. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Greenbelt. Essem's accomplices in the scheme recruited college students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, promising them easy money in exchange for their bank account information.

According to the plea agreement, from October 2010 to July 2012, Essem and his accomplices convinced the students to open bank accounts, obtain debit cards, and provide the account information to Essem. He then collected the debit cards and PIN numbers and gave them to another conspirator. The students were told that money would be transferred into these accounts from The Home Depot, but in reality, the money was obtained through a refund scheme involving stolen credit card numbers.

During the course of the fraud scheme, Essem collected $264,757.29 from the accomplices he recruited. In total, 69 refunds from The Home Depot were credited to bank accounts of individuals recruited by Essem between December 13, 2010, and March 2011. Co-defendants Godfred Obeng, Stanley Nmesirionye, Dosis Feludu, and Gideon Turkson previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the fraud scheme and await sentencing.

The case is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury - OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan E. Foreman, who prosecuted the case.

The defendant, Bertrand Awah Essem, was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for conspiring to commit bank fraud. The crime occurred from October 2010 to July 2012. The total amount collected from the accomplices was $264,757.29.

Defendant: Bertrand Awah Essem

Criminal Charges: Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud

City and State: Greenbelt, Maryland

Exact Date: Not provided

Sentence or Outcome: 27 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/beltsville-man-sentenced-prison-bank-fraud-scheme