Online Con Artist Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Scheme

PITTSBURGH - A Maryland resident has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months and one day imprisonment, supervised release for three years and ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution on his conviction of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Gustave Diamond imposed the sentence on Sigismond Senyo Segbefia, 29, of Silver Spring, Maryland.

According to the information presented to the court, Segbefia engaged in an online romance scam and defrauded victims out of money by posing as other persons on popular dating websites ChristianMingle.com and Match.com. He also is accused of wiring illicit funds to Ghana.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the successful prosecution of Segbefia.