By: Richard L. Smith
In a case of online deception and wire fraud, Mahmoud Bowler, a 40-year-old resident of Newark, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger made the announcement, highlighting the consequences of Bowler's involvement in an online romance scam.
Bowler's conviction stems from a trial that concluded on April 13, 2023, where he was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
The trial, presided over by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr., was held within the Circuit to ensure a fair process. U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti handed down the sentence on October 24, 2023, in Newark federal court.
The case revealed that from February 2015 to June 2019, Bowler and an accomplice orchestrated an elaborate online romance scheme.
The co-conspirator created a fictitious profile on an online dating platform and feigned a romantic connection with a woman residing in Florida.
In this fraudulent profile, the co-conspirator falsely claimed to have secured a multimillion-dollar oil contract through a company he purportedly owned.
After establishing a virtual romantic relationship, the co-conspirator repeatedly solicited loans from the victim, alleging that his assets were frozen by a foreign government, preventing access to his own accounts.
Between April 2018 and September 2018, the victim wired money to Bowler's bank account on four separate occasions as directed.
After receiving the funds, Bowler withdrew a portion in cash, transferred money to individuals in Ghana via a money remitter, and wired some of the funds to family members in Ghana.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti imposed three years of supervised release on Bowler and ordered him to pay restitution totaling $44,821.
This case serves as a reminder of the consequences individuals face for engaging in online romance scams and wire fraud.
