3 months ago
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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- A 26-year-old man from Dunwoody, Ga., has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison after a Utah federal jury convicted him for his role in a romance scam that cost victims more than $2 million.
Clinton Chukudi Uchendu was found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail fraud, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. In addition to his 28-month prison sentence, Uchendu was ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution.
For several months in 2018, Uchendu played the role of a "picker" in the elaborate scheme. According to court documents, as a "picker," Uchendu provided U.S.-based bank accounts to collect money from victims and launder the money to hide the source and final destination of the money.
His part was part of a larger scheme performed by an international group of social manipulators known as the "Yahoo Boys," according to the United States Attorney's Office. The group frequently sets up fake profiles online, posing as overseas United States soldiers, international businessmen, or celebrities. They then gain the trust of their victims before asking for money.
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