Pennsylvania Man Arrested for Nationwide Fraud Scheme

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Pennsylvania man was arrested on charges of fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a national chain of home improvement stores.  The charges are based on an indictment returned by a grand jury for the District of Delaware for wire fraud and access device fraud.

According to the indictment, Mamadou Bah, 37, conducted over a thousand fraudulent transactions at home improvement stores throughout the country between May 2018 and June 2020, using the fake name “Richard Traynham.”  Bah would pay for gift cards and merchandise at various home improvement stores utilizing a barcode on his phone that was linked to a fraudulently obtained credit card.  Bah would use that barcode to pay for the merchandise.  The victim stores would later receive a “chargeback” from the credit card company indicating that the purchase was fraudulent.  All told, Bah caused losses in excess of $650,000. 

If convicted, Bah faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 10 years imprisonment on the access device fraud charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Weiss commented, “The Indictment alleges a nationwide financial fraud scheme from which the defendant obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Such systematic fraud warrants intervention, investigation and prosecution by federal authorities who are able to address the entirety of the defendant’s conduct.”

FBI-Baltimore, Wilmington Resident Agency is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ibrahim is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 21-CR-65

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.