A Brooklyn, New York resident has been sentenced to 63 months in prison for his role in a credit card fraud scheme that spanned eight states, including Maryland.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Rod J. Rosenstein, announced that Odere Suleitopa, a 33-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for 18 counts of wire fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz, who also ordered Suleitopa to pay restitution of $140,000 and to forfeit over $1,000 and cellular telephones seized during the investigation.
According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, Suleitopa obtained credit cards with his name embossed on them, but with the account numbers that had been stolen. He then went to retail stores and used the fraudulent cards to purchase gift cards and merchandise.
The evidence showed that Suleitopa completed three fraudulent transactions in Alexandria, Virginia, totaling $5,814.08, and 26 transactions using the fraudulent credit cards – eight in Delaware, and 18 in Easton and Denton, Maryland. The total purchases were over $44,000.
The scheme, which spanned eight states from New Hampshire to Georgia, resulted in losses of over $190,000 and compromised the credit card accounts of more than 15 victims.
The sentence was announced as part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which was established to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.
U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI-Baltimore, the Easton Police Department, and Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation, and recognized the Gardner, Massachusetts Police Department, the Spartanburg County and Berkeley County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Offices, and the Summerville, South Carolina Police Department for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Menaka Kalaskar prosecuted the case, which resulted in Suleitopa’s conviction on October 27, 2016.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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