FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
APRIL 12, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SILVER SPRING MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSION OF OVER $900,000 IN COUNTERFEIT BANK CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Adebayo Michael Idamakin, age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland, today to 33 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for 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, 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 to his dormitory in Washington, D.C. Idamakin then re-mailed the counterfeit checks and money orders to other individuals around the country. Some of these individuals cashed them and mailed money or goods back to England and Nigeria. Idamakin also recruited local individuals to cash the counterfeit money orders and checks in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.
Federal authorities intercepted six mailings that 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.
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.