Ex-Army soldier fleeced lonelyhearts, now he’s going to federal pison
A former Fort Bragg soldier was sent to federal prison Thursday for an unemployment fraud scheme and online romance con that fleeced thousands from vulnerable, often elderly people, from 2019 to 2022.
Sanda G. Frimpong, 33, was a U.S. Army specialist when he was arrested on the allegations in March 2023. He pleaded guilty in September to three counts of money laundering. In exchange for the plea, multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy, identity theft and device fraud were dismissed, record shows.
Frimpong was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in federal prison, followed by three years of probation. He was also ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the victims and to forfeit $357,960.99.
“Romance scammers exploit our most vulnerable citizens, even our seniors and military veterans, sometimes leaving them financially and emotionally devastated,” U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said in a news release. “The fact that an Army service member was involved in romance scams while serving
‘Romance scammers exploit our most vulnerable citizens, even our seniors and military veterans, sometimes leaving them financially and emotionally devastated. The fact that an Army service member was involved in romance scams while serving as a soldier is appalling.' Michael Easley U.S. Attorney
as a soldier is appalling.”
Among the victims was a widower from New York and a recent divorcee from Illinois, the indictment states. One victim was taken for $150,000, according to the indictment.
The release that Frimpong and others engaged in elaborate scams to impersonate romantic love interests, diplomats, customs personnel, military personnel, and other fictitious personas to induce the victims into providing money or property to the conspirators.
Frimpong then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in the proceeds of these frauds through his various bank accounts across state lines and to his contacts in Ghana.
According to the indictment, the West African native, first entered the U.S. on a fiance visa. and got married, then divorced in 2018 and became a naturalized citizen that same year, the indictment said.
The indictment also states Frimpong and others used the stolen identities of people living and dead and fraudulently applied for unemployment assistance in several states including North Carolina, California, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Texas.
Officials said that Frimpong and his partners obtained more than $100,000 in unemployment benefits through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, commonly known as the CARES Act.