U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has sentenced Njuh Valentine Fombe, also known as “Valentine,” a 37-year-old Cameroonian citizen formerly residing in Beltsville, Maryland, to 12 years in federal prison. 

The sentence was in connection to Mr Fombe’s involvement in multiple fraudulent activities, including wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft, resulting in intended losses exceeding $2 million, the District of Maryland’s United State Attorney’s Office announced. 

The sentencing also included three years of supervised release following Mr Fombe’s prison term. 

Ms Chasanow further mandated restitution of $325,856.12 and forfeiture of $547,310.23. 

Mr Fombe’s conviction stems from his participation in a sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) fraud scheme, wherein he and his co-conspirators unlawfully accessed email accounts, personal identifying information, and bank accounts to execute fraudulent wire transfers. 

Victims of this scheme spanned across states such as California, Tennessee, Michigan, Hawaii, and Illinois.

Court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing revealed that Mr Fombe and his accomplices utilised the obtained personal information to acquire counterfeit checks under the victims’ names. 

Additionally, they established fraudulent shell entities to perpetrate the scheme, managing bank accounts to funnel proceeds from the fraudulent activities.

His legal troubles intensified when, facing indictment in 2019, he fled the United States using a fraudulently obtained Honduran passport. He subsequently resided in the United Kingdom until his arrest on June 16, 2022, and subsequent extradition to the United States.

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, expressed appreciation for the investigative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Laurel Police Department. 

He also acknowledged the diligent prosecution carried out by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O. Hayes, Christopher M. Sarma, and Bijon Mostoufi.