A Ghanaian man, Wigbert Bandie, 34, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison by the U.S. District Court for orchestrating a wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims of over $2 million. Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the Eastern District of Tennessee delivered the sentence on November 26, 2024.
Following his incarceration, Bandie will serve three years of supervised release and has been ordered to repay $2.18 million in restitution to 11 victims. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Bandie and his co-conspirators targeted elderly victims on social media and dating platforms, pretending to be romantic or friendly connections. They duped victims into investing in fake ventures or providing emergency financial assistance under false pretenses.
The scheme involved “handlers” who maintained online relationships with victims and gradually demanded increasing sums of money. One victim in Tennessee alone lost over $280,000. The operation also relied on “money mules” to facilitate the transfer of funds to overseas accounts.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III and FBI Special Agent Matthew R. Short, who led the investigation, praised law enforcement efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. This sentencing highlights the FBI’s commitment to combating international fraud schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.