ST. PAUL, Minn. – Dodzi Kwame Kordorwu, a Brooklyn Park man, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison for facilitating a national romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, beginning in May 2018 through June 2022, Kordorwu helped facilitate an online romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on perpetrators impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person, such as a senior U.S. diplomat or military official, that contacted the victims through online social media applications.
The scheme participants then sought to forge a romantic connection with the victims. If successful, the scheme participants would then ask the victims for money purportedly to assist the false persona with some problem or need. Occasionally, the scheme participants would even introduce the victims to a purported third-party intermediary who would corroborate the false persona’s story and assist in defrauding the victims.
The victims eventually were directed to send large sums of money by mail or other commercial means to a specified name and address. In total, Kordorwu received over 250 victim packages containing over $2M in fraud proceeds throughout the scheme.
Kordorwu then helped disperse these fraud proceeds to others. To do so, he created numerous dummy corporations and opened a variety of bank accounts to make the transactions appear less suspicious. He also interacted with known victims during the scheme to ensure the successful receipt of their money.
Kordorwu was sentenced on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. In handing down the sentence, Judge Eric C. Tostrud specifically commented on the way this fraud scheme targeted elderly victims experiencing loneliness and remarked “the only word I have to describe the nature and circumstances of [Kordorwu’s] offense is ‘cruelty.’
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and a Digital Forensic Investigator with Hennepin County. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis prosecuted the case, with Kordorwu ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $2,144,291.86.
Kordorwu, a 38-year-old Brooklyn Park man, was charged with facilitating a national romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on perpetrators impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person and contacting victims through online social media applications.
Kordorwu’s sentence of 63 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and full restitution in the amount of $2,144,291.86 reflects the severity of his crimes, which targeted vulnerable elderly victims and resulted in significant financial losses.
About the defendant:
Dodzi Kwame Kordorwu, 38, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was sentenced to 63 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $2,144,291.86.
Date of sentencing: Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
Defendant’s address: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Crime: Facilitating a national romance fraud scheme.
Charge: Facilitating a national romance fraud scheme.
Related Federal Cases
- Seng Xiong, Elder Fraud Scheme, Minnesota 2024 · Washington
- Bryan Reichel, Investment Fraud Scheme, MN 2016 · Minnesota
- Julius Lee Boston, Tax Return Fraud, Minnesota 2012 · Minnesota
- John L. Steele, Mail and Wire Fraud, Minnesota 2023 · District of Columbia
- Timothy Wayne Guthman, Health Care Fraud and Mail Fraud, Minnesota 2012 · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
