Newark Man Sentenced to 24 Months Imprisonment in Fraud and Money Laundering Case

WILMINGTON, Del. – Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Akeem Harris, age 26, of Newark, was sentenced on November 30, 2016, by U. S. District Court Judge Sue L. Robinson to 24 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.  Mr. Harris was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $422,946.04. 

The sentencing came after Mr. Harris pleaded guilty on June 2, 2016 to one count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1344 and one count of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1957. 

Between January and June 2016, Mr. Harris engaged in multiple fraud schemes in and around the Wilmington, Delaware area.  Defendant opened multiple bank accounts in the name of fictitious businesses, and received or deposited stolen funds into those accounts.  Mr. Harris then liquidated the proceeds of those schemes in a series of transactions including large cash withdrawals before the fraud was detected.

U.S. Attorney Oberly stated, “I am pleased with Mr. Harris’s sentence.  Though not at the helm of the schemes, Mr. Harris played a vital role and made the schemes profitable for himself and others involved.  I hope that others, when approached about playing a similar role, will understand that they will be held accountable for such conduct.”

"IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals use deceit and fraud to line their pockets," stated Akeia Conner, Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.  "This sentence should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions."

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Wolf.  U.S. Attorney Oberly thanked the investigators for their hard work in pursuing this investigation.