A federal court in Tennessee has meted out punishment to two Ghanaian nationals, Wigbert Bandie and Adam Khadijah, to prison for their roles in a sophisticated fraud and money laundering scheme.
Judge Thomas A. Varlan, presiding over the Eastern District of Tennessee in Knoxville, handed down the sentences after the defendants were found guilty of defrauding victims through romance scams and false financial promises.
34-year-old Wigbert Bandie a native of Northwestern Ghana, was sentenced in November 2024 to 63 months in prison. His accomplice, Adam Khadijah who is 30 years old is from Bole in Ghana's Savannah Region and also received a 30-month sentence.
In addition to his prison term, Bandie was given the order to pay $2.18 million in restitution to 11 injured parties of the scam. He will serve three years of supervised release upon completing his sentence.
The fraudulent operation was run from June to December 2019, and it involved Bandie and others targeting victims on social media platforms. Posing as individuals seeking romantic relationships, the scammers gained the victims' trust and manipulated them into sending money under faithless pretences.
One of their methods included promising profits from fake gold shipments, and convincing victims to pay shipping fees for non-existent gold bars. The funds were then funnelled through various channels, including wire transfers and cheques, as part of the elaborate scam.
In one case, Bandie, using the alias "Kimberly McIntosh," pretended to be an heiress to gold bars supposedly stored in Singapore. He targeted Richard Coleman, a Knoxville resident, by creating fake documents, including a memorandum of understanding offering Coleman a 40% share in the non-existent gold. Coleman eventually paid $73,550 in supposed shipping fees.
Wigbert Bandie worked alongside Mubarak Braimah, who posed as a liaison for a fictitious shipping company, lending credibility to the fraudulent scheme.
Both Bandie and Khadijah were prosecuted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. Bandie pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343.
Although Bandie was allowed a plea deal in 2023, which would have resulted in a reduced sentence and six years in prison in exchange for full restitution, he declined the agreement.
Khadijah’s role in the scheme mainly involved receiving funds from victims, which led to a lesser sentence than Bandie's.
Authorities continue to search for Mubarak Braimah, another alleged accomplice, who remains at large. Braimah’s role in facilitating the scams was crucial to defrauding multiple victims.
The fraud operation, which lasted six months, caused significant financial and emotional distress to the victims, who collectively lost over $2 million. The restitution order underscores the scale of the damages.
Judge Varlan focused attention on the severity of the defendant’s actions, noting that they exploited vulnerable individuals through deceitful romantic relationships. The sentences serve as both a punishment and a deterrent to others considering similar fraudulent schemes.
This case marks a significant step in combating transnational fraud. With Braimah still on the run, authorities remain determined to bring all involved parties to justice. As the victims begin to recover, the court’s actions offer a sense of accountability and a reminder of the risks of online scams.
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