FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885  

January 23, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md                                       

SILVER SPRING MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF OVER $700,000 IN COUNTERFEIT BANK CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS

Baltimore, Maryland - Adebayo Michael Idamakin, age 24, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of counterfeit money orders and bank checks, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the plea agreement presented to the court, on 20 occasions from March to May, 2006, Idamakin’s friends in England, Nigeria, and France mailed counterfeit bank checks and money orders via overnight mail to Idamakin’s apartment in Silver Spring or dormitory in Washington, D.C. Idamakin would re-mail the counterfeit checks and money orders to other individuals around the country. Some of these individuals would cash them and mail money or goods back to England and Nigeria. Idamakin would also recruit local individuals to cash the counterfeit money orders and checks in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.

Federal authorities intercepted six of these mailings, which contained approximately $708,500 in counterfeit checks and money orders. On May 31, 2006, federal agents made a controlled delivery of a package containing $228,800 in fictitious checks to Idamakin’s apartment. Idamakin was arrested after he picked up the package from the front desk. Federal agents recovered counterfeit money orders totaling approximately $8,250, and the delivered package containing $228,800 in counterfeit checks.

Idamakin faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kwame J. Manley, who is prosecuting the case.

This page last modified—January 23, 2007