Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud U.S. Defense Contractors and ID Theft Fraud Scheme Targeting TD Bank

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Solomon Oyesanya, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his participation in two fraud schemes arising out of the Eastern District of Virginia and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and resulting in intended losses exceeding $1.5 million. 

Specifically, Oyesanya was sentenced to 27 months in prison for defrauding U.S. defense contractors by conspiring to commit wire fraud, and a concurrent term of 60 months in prison for committing bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud TD Bank.  Oyesanya also was ordered to serve a total of five years on supervised release, forfeit $25,000 in criminal proceeds, and pay restitution to his victims.

U.S. Defense Contractor Scheme

On March 28, Oyesanya pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud U.S. defense contractors.  According to court documents, Oyesanya was part of a conspiracy, led by two Nigerian nationals, to fraudulently obtain computer hardware and products from contractors and vendors who were approved to do business with the U.S. Government, specifically the U.S. Department of Defense (U.S. DoD).  To accomplish this scheme, members of the conspiracy created fake U.S. DoD and other U.S. government agency websites and email accounts (sometimes called “spoofed” websites and email accounts), and placed fraudulent government purchase orders with victim contractors and vendors for large quantities of computer hardware and similar products. 

In furtherance of the spoofing conspiracy, Oyesanya, using false identification, picked up or attempted to pick up fraudulently ordered shipments from legitimate carriers to divert the shipments to co-conspirators in Nigeria. 

According to court documents, the victimized defense contractors suffered actual losses attributable to Oyesanya in excess of $160,000 and intended losses attributable to Oyesanya in excess of $970,000. 

TD Bank Scheme

On May 12, Oyesanya pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud TD Bank.  According to court documents, beginning no later than March 3, 2011, and continuing until at least November 2012, Oyesanya conspired with other persons to defraud TD Bank out of money by fraudulently accessing TD Bank customer accounts without the customer’s knowledge or consent to withdraw funds.  Oyesanya and his co-conspirators gained access to the accounts of legitimate TD Bank customers by using means of legitimate customer identification, such as customers’ names, dates of birth, addresses, and social security numbers, as well as falsified drivers’ licenses.  Oyesanya and his co-conspirators made deposits in the form of counterfeit checks, small amounts of cash, or a small denomination money order into existing TD Bank customer accounts in order to learn account information, or, if in the form of a fraudulent check, to withdraw funds before TD Bank discovered that the check was fraudulent.  They also obtained online access to customer accounts as well as access to new ATM debit cards and PIN numbers in the names of existing TD Bank customers.

According to court documents, to cover up their scheme, Oyesanya and his co-conspirators often posed as the legitimate TD Bank customers and instructed TD Bank to change the customers’ phone numbers to prevent the customers from being notified of the withdrawal of funds from their accounts. Furthermore, Oyesanya and his co-conspirators used the fraudulently obtained ATM debit cards to withdraw cash at ATM machines and make purchases at merchants such as Target, Walmart, and the U.S. Postal Service. 

As a result of this scheme, TD Bank suffered actual losses exceeding $500,000 and intended losses exceeding $760,000. 

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey Thorpe, Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Cyber Field Office; Kevin Perkins, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office; and Brian A. Michael, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lowe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania originally prosecuted this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer and Alexander P. Berrang and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Filamor continued the prosecution of this case in the Eastern District of Virginia.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-69 and Case  No. 1:16-cr-90.