Maryland State Wire

Judge Theodore D. Chuang has sentenced Anomah Ndonwi, a 32-year-old resident of Chillum, Maryland, to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following his prison term, Ndonwi will undergo three years of supervised release.

The sentencing was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, alongside David Richeson from the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

Ndonwi's fraudulent activities spanned from September 2019 to December 2022 and involved non-delivery schemes targeting victims across the United States. These scams included fake sales of pets like dogs and horses via internet websites. Victims paid through wire transfers or electronic apps but never received their purchases or refunds.

In addition to pet scams, Ndonwi also orchestrated schemes involving the non-delivery of agricultural goods such as meat products. Many victims were foreign businesses that paid for goods using interstate or international wire communications but did not receive the products or any refund.

To facilitate these operations, Ndonwi opened at least 14 bank accounts in Maryland using false identities and fraudulent passports purportedly from Cameroon. Through these accounts, he accumulated over $930,105 from the wire-fraud conspiracy affecting more than ten victims.

U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the DSS for its role in investigating the case and acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Coreen Mao and Dawn Williams for prosecuting it.

For further details on reporting fraud and resources provided by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.