Press Release
Twenty-One-Year-Old Sentenced in Wire Fraud Conspiracy
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Ian Betkie, age 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 5, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Betkie to 4 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 28 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After Betkie’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release on both charges.
A task force of Sarpy County, Douglas County, and Pottawattamie County agencies was assembled to investigate a significant spike in the Omaha and Council Bluffs metro areas in burglarized vehicles. The modus operandi of the thefts was that one member of the conspiracy would drive a vehicle slowly through a residential neighborhood while other members of the conspiracy, called “runners,” would enter into vehicles parked in driveways or parked on the street outside of the residence and steal property like credit cards, identification, computers, money, and other valuables.
The members of the conspiracy would then take the stolen cards from the vehicles to area stores like Wal-Mart and other retailers and buy drinks, food, and prepaid cards that they would load up with money from the stolen cards. They would also purchase money orders to further conceal the source of the proceeds and the money orders would be deposited back to bank accounts or bitcoin accounts belonging to the members of the conspiracy.
Law enforcement was able to identify and arrest all five members of the conspiracy.
Co-conspirator Hassan Mohamed was sentenced on June 12, 2024, to 20 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 44 months.
Co-conspirator Hazem Sarmin was sentenced on June 14, 2024, to 18 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 42 months.
Co-conspirator Abas Ali was sentenced on November 8, 2024, to 27 months imprisonment on the wire fraud charge and 24 months on the aggravated identity theft charge for a total of 51 months.
Co-conspirator Bead Chan will be sentenced January 3, 2025. He pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Contact
Updated December 16, 2024
Topic
Financial Fraud