A Chicago man was sentenced on Mar. 26 in federal court for his role in a scheme to defraud active United States military service members using social media.
Dwayne D. Adams, age 33, received a sentence of 27 months in prison and was ordered to pay $165,821.74 in restitution after being convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Judge M. Douglas Harpool handed down the sentence, marking the conclusion of the case against Adams as the third and final defendant involved.
According to court documents, Adams worked with others to contact newly enlisted service members through various social media platforms. The conspirators would then pose as senior military officials and tell victims they were receiving incorrect salaries and were owed additional money by the military. Victims were instructed that they needed to return their prior pay using a cash application before receiving a higher salary from the military; however, once funds were transferred, no money was returned.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney following an investigation by the Department of the Army – Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach and prevention programs aimed at addressing issues like violent crime and drug trafficking, according to the official website. The office handles federal prosecutions and civil litigation across 66 counties in western Missouri according to its official website, with locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield.The office is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Justice and covers an area stretching from Iowa’s border southward to Arkansas’ border, spanning west from Kansas’ border halfway across Missouri eastward.It also collaborates with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners.
