A Chicago man has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a wire fraud scheme that targeted United States service members. Dwayne D. Adams, 33, entered his plea before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., admitting to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, Adams worked with others to defraud military personnel who had recently joined the United States military. The group contacted service members through various social media platforms and then posed as senior military officials. They told victims they were receiving incorrect salaries and were owed additional pay. The conspirators instructed each victim to return their previous pay using a cash application, promising that this would result in a higher salary rate from the military.
If service members complied, Adams and his co-conspirators took the transferred funds and did not return any money as promised. Adams participated by taking the cash application transfers and conducting financial transactions that moved victims’ money into accounts accessible by all involved in the scheme.
Adams is the third and final defendant to plead guilty for involvement in this scheme against active U.S. military personnel.
Under federal law, Adams faces up to 20 years in prison without parole. The actual sentence will be determined by the court after a presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
