BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)– A man from Boston has been sentenced to prison for stealing money from individuals through online schemes.
Kelechi Collins Umeh, aged 40, has received 40 months in prison and two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $878,652 in restitution by a federal judge in Boston Monday.
According to prosecutors, Umeh took part in multiple online romance schemes that involved gaining the trust of victims and getting them to send him and his co-conspirators money under the guise of fees. The money was sent to various bank accounts in the Boston area whereupon the Umeh and co-conspirators withdrew the money in increments under $10,000 to avoid being detected.
Investigators determined some 30 victims lost more than $1.3 million as a result.
Umeh pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy in January 2023.
