Ghanaian US military officer jailed for romance scams and money laundering

Sanda G. Frimpong has been sentenced to prison for romance scams and money laundering

Sanda G. Frimpong, a former U.S. Army officer of Ghanaian descent, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for laundering illegal proceeds from an extensive series of romance scams.

Frimpong, who is 33 years old, was found guilty of three counts of money laundering on September 14, 2023, and was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the victims.

According to a report from the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, dated April 18, 2024, Frimpong and other conspirators were involved in the said elaborate scam.

They posed as romantic love interests, diplomats, customs officers, military personnel and other fictional characters to gain the trust of their victims.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office added that the scams involved promises of romance, sharing an inheritance or other wealth, or other scenarios designed to fraudulently induce victims to provide money or property to the conspirators.

“Frimpong subsequently laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from this fraud through his various bank accounts across state lines and through his contacts in Ghana. Frimpong was also an active-duty Army soldier stationed at Fort Bragg during the commission of the crimes until shortly after his arrest in 2023,” the report said.

Read the report verbatim as recorded on Justice.gov below:

Sanda G. Frimpong, 33, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to victims for laundering the illicit proceeds of an elaborate series of romance scams. Frimpong pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering on September 14, 2023.

“Romance scammers exploit our most vulnerable citizens, even our seniors and military veterans, sometimes leaving them financially and emotionally devastated,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The fact that an Army soldier was involved in a romance scam while serving as a soldier is appalling. We are working with the Ministry of Defense to remove fraudsters and money launderers like Frimpong from our military ranks and put them in prison where they belong.”

“Integrity is a core tenet of the Armed Forces, and when servicemembers choose to compromise their integrity out of greed, it damages the reputation of all others who serve in uniform,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Inspector General of the Department of Defense. Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS and its law enforcement partners will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable those who defraud government programs and use online scams to deprive the most vulnerable.”

Frimpong and other conspirators, who engage in elaborate scams, posing as romantic love interests, diplomats, customs officers, military personnel and other fictitious individuals with the aim of ensnaring their victims by gaining their trust, including promises of romance , sharing an inheritance or other wealth, or other scenarios designed to fraudulently induce victims to provide money or property to the conspirators. Frimpong subsequently laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from this fraud through his various bank accounts across state lines and through his contacts in Ghana. Frimpong was also an active-duty Army soldier stationed at Fort Bragg during the commission of the crimes until shortly after his arrest in 2023.

Michael Easley, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III announced the sentence. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service led the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka prosecuted the case.

MA/EK