ALEXANDRIA, VA – A brazen attempt to arm himself with stolen identities landed 23-year-old Wilford Amoako Osei, an Italian national residing in Woodbridge, Virginia, a two-year federal prison sentence. Osei was sentenced today on charges of aggravated identity theft after illegally purchasing a firearm online using another person’s stolen credit card information.
Court documents reveal Osei placed a $1,249 online order for a firearm on June 2, 2024, brazenly using someone else’s name and credit card number without their consent. The victim had already reported the card lost or stolen, but that didn’t deter Osei. He successfully received the firearm on June 24, 2024, from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Woodbridge, demonstrating a clear intent to acquire weapons illegally.
But Osei didn’t stop there. Between June 24th and August 30th, 2024, he attempted six additional online firearm orders, each using the stolen identities and credit card details of different victims. Thankfully, these subsequent attempts were flagged, blocked, or cancelled before the orders could be fulfilled, preventing further illegal weapons from hitting the streets. This wasn’t a one-time lapse in judgment; it was a sustained effort to build an arsenal through fraud.
U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, jointly announced the sentencing. U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff handed down the two-year sentence, sending a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag skillfully prosecuted the case, piecing together the evidence of Osei’s fraudulent activities and securing the conviction. The investigation highlights the ongoing threat of identity theft used to facilitate illegal firearm purchases and the dedication of federal agencies to combatting such crimes.
Those seeking more information can find a copy of the press release on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website. Court documents related to the case, identified as Case No. 1:25-cr-41, are also available on the District Court website for the Eastern District of Virginia or through the PACER system. This case serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of identity theft and firearm trafficking, and the vigilance required to prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining weapons illegally.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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