Sandra Zongo, a 47-year-old New York woman who styled herself as a high-ranking federal commissioner tied to the United Nations, was convicted by a Manhattan jury Tuesday on multiple felony counts, including impersonating a federal official and running a $150,000 fraud scheme against businesses and a veterans charity.
ZONGO, also known as “Sandra Nelson” and “Akiwa Gizzel,” was found guilty after a nine-day trial in Manhattan federal court of one count of passing fictitious obligations, one count of impersonating an officer or employee of the United States, one count of wire fraud, and one count of attempted wire fraud. The charges stem from a scam in which she posed as the “Deputy Commissioner of Foreign Affairs” for a fake entity called the “Office of the Commissioner,” claiming it was federally funded and connected to the U.N.—a lie exposed by investigators.
According to trial evidence, beginning in October 2014, ZONGO used forged government purchase orders and certificates of indebtedness to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods and services from Manhattan hotels, restaurants, and event vendors. Among the most brazen acts: she defrauded a charity event for injured military veterans of $150,000 using phony invoices and official-looking documents that duped organizers into believing she represented a legitimate government agency.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara didn’t mince words: “Today, a unanimous jury convicted Sandra Zongo of posing as a federal government employee and using fake documents to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods and services from her victims.” Bharara added, “She claimed to be a Commissioner for a made-up organization with ties to the United Nations and went so far as to defraud a charity for military veterans.”
David E. Beach, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office, emphasized the broader impact: “The Secret Service places a priority on investigating criminals who prey on the residents of this city and their businesses through deceit and false solicitations for real charities.” He credited cooperation with the NYPD and other agencies for bringing ZONGO to justice.
ZONGO now faces a maximum of 25 years in prison for passing fictitious obligations, three years for impersonating a federal employee, and 20 years each for wire fraud and attempted wire fraud. Sentencing will be determined by U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Fender, Kiersten Fletcher, Janis Echenberg, and Christopher DiMase, with support from the Secret Service, NYPD, HRA, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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