United States of America v. Kelechi Collins Umeh

Boston, Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with bank fraud.



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From at least June 2018 through January 2020, Umeh assisted in an organized effort to collectively defraud more than

30 victims of at least $1.3 million through a variety of predominantly online scams. These scams took three forms: romance scams, in which participants in the conspiracy used fictitious personas on dating and social websites to manipulate victims into transferring funds under false pretenses; advance fee scams, in which participants tricked victims into transferring funds based on false promises to convey something of value in return; and business email compromise scams, in which participants sent communications to victims that masqueraded as legitimate requests to transfer funds from familiar entities. The defrauded victims included (often elderly) individuals, businesses, and government agencies.



Umeh took a back-end role in this multifaceted scam enterprise. A Nigerian national lawfully admitted to the United

States, Umeh used fake Ghanian, Liberian, and South African passports to open at least 17 bank accounts under false identities. After Umeh opened an account, fraudsters located in Africa would manipulate victims into transferring money into that account using one of the scams above, and Umeh would withdraw the deposited proceeds. In total, the government attributed nearly $550,000 of defrauded funds to accounts that Umeh controlled.



Umeh entered into a plea agreement with the Government.

Umeh was sentenced to a below-guidelines sentence of incarceration for 40 months,

along with 24 months of supervised release, restitution of $878,652.29, forfeiture, and a $100 special assessment.



Affirmed on appeal.