Christopher Akeme, a 39-year-old man from Sicklerville, Camden County, New Jersey, has been sentenced to six years in state prison for defrauding his victims out of over $1.4 million. Akeme appeared in court for sentencing on Friday, September 15. In addition to his prison term, he has been ordered to pay restitution of over $1.4 million.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Akeme pleaded guilty to second-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity in May. He admitted to running a scheme where he tricked three victims into giving him hundreds of thousands of dollars each between 2017 and 2020.
Authorities revealed that Akeme instructed the victims to deposit the money into his accounts in the United States, which he then transferred to accounts in Nigeria. One victim, a California woman, fell victim to a catfishing scam and gave Akeme $926,414, emptying her retirement savings and investments. Another victim from California was scammed out of $116,630 in an inheritance scheme. A victim from Germany was tricked into sending Akeme $491,645 for a nonexistent real estate investment in New Jersey.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin condemned Akeme’s actions, stating that he shamelessly exploited vulnerable victims in the United States and abroad using various scams.
