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Chicago Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud Scheme in Iowa
A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for a wire fraud scheme that saw him defraud victims out of over $410,000.
Romel Murphy, 43, was sentenced on October 20, 2021, to 77 months in prison for his role in the scheme, which lasted from November 2017 to March 2019.
Murphy operated a talent booking agency that claimed to book artists for performances at concert venues around the US. However, he used the business to induce potential clients to send him funds to secure artists’ performances, which he then failed to deliver.
Victims were sent signed contracts that appeared to have come from the artists, but in reality, Murphy had drafted and signed the contracts himself. Once the victims had paid the deposit funds, Murphy converted the money to his own use, including gambling.
As the concert dates approached, victims began to realize that the artists had not received any funds, often due to communications from the artists’ actual representatives. In total, Murphy defrauded his victims out of $410,000.
Murphy had three prior convictions for federal fraud-related offenses, including two that were committed while he was on federal supervised release.
He was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams and ordered to make $414,433.23 in restitution to the victims. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
Murphy’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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