St. Louis County Man Indicted for His Role in a Romance Scam

St. Louis, MO –Hammed Akande, 39, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. 

According to the Indictment, Hammed Akande, identified as “L.T.,” targeted a victim identified in court documents as “M.C.” under the guise of a romantic relationship through the online dating website “Our Time.”  During the course of the romance scam, L.T requested financial assistance from victim M.C. for the purposes of, among other things, assisting with a business opportunity in Ukraine.  In response, victim M.C. sent money pursuant to L.T.’s instructions.  Items requested by L.T. were sent to Akande’s residence and eventually received by law enforcement from Akande’s residence.

Victim M.C., who was over 60 years of age, was defrauded of over $20,000 between September and November 2019.

If convicted, Akande faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Restitution is also mandatory.

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting financial crimes targeting older adults.  The Eastern District of Missouri Identity Theft Task Force is a group of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to combat identity theft and its related crimes across the St. Louis Community.