SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Dwayne D. Adams, a 33-year-old Chicago native, pleaded guilty in federal court today to serious charges of wire fraud, his actions targeting the wallets of United States service members.
The defendant, Adams, appeared before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., and entered guilty pleas on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and another for actual wire fraud.
Adams is the third and final figure to admit his role in a sordid scheme that exploited social media as a conduit for financial deceit against our nation’s military personnel. According to court documents, Adams colluded with others to dupe newly-recruited service members through social engineering on various online platforms.
In the elaborate con, Adams and his conspirators posed as senior military officials, informing unsuspecting victims that they were receiving incorrect pay. They then coerced these soldiers into returning their previous pay via a cash app transfer under the guise of receiving corrected salary payments. However, once funds were transferred, the perpetrators vanished without returning any money to the victim.
Under federal law, Adams is facing up to 20 years in federal prison if sentenced without parole. The sentence will ultimately be determined by the court based on sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors after a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is a stark reminder of the sophisticated nature of fraud targeting our service members, and it has been prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney with investigations led by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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