Pennsylvania Man Gets Two Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Nationwide Fraud Scheme

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania man was sentenced yesterday to two years in federal prison for his participation in a nationwide scheme to fraudulently obtain over $700,000 in gift cards and merchandise from a nationwide home improvement store. The Honorable Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.

According to court documents, Mamadou Bah, 39, 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 home improvement stores using a barcode on his phone that was linked to fraudulently obtained credit cards.  All told, Bah caused losses in excess of $733,000 across stores in 21 states.  For this conduct, Bah pled guilty to aggravated identity theft, which carries a two-year mandatory sentence.

U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss made the announcement and commented on the sentence.  “Mr. Bah perpetrated a lucrative fraud for years through identity theft.  By working with our law enforcement partners, my office was able to stop Mr. Bah from further fraud and secure a federal prison sentence.  Those who think they can get away with stealing another person’s identity information to defraud a retailer should learn from Mr. Bah.  If convicted, a mandatory prison sentence awaits you.”  

“The FBI remains committed to investigating these types of sophisticated fraud schemes and to seeking justice for those affected by them,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “If you have fallen victim to a scam, please report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or 1-800-CALL FBI. This information will help investigate these criminals.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Millsboro Police Department. 

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. 1:21-cr-065.