BALTIMORE — U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced 33-year-old Daniel Ongele of Bowie, Maryland, to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a $1.2 million bank fraud scheme.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office.
Ongele pled guilty to obtaining account information from elderly victims with the help of a co-conspirator employed as a bank teller. The co-conspirator unlawfully accessed confidential account details and provided personal identifying information (PII) to Ongele. Ongele and his associates used this stolen information to deposit or attempt to deposit fraudulent checks into accounts belonging to other conspirators at automated teller machines in Maryland.
Ongele’s fraudulent activities involved at least nine victim accounts, resulting in a total intended loss of $1,293,237.06.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for its diligent investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Martinez was recognized for prosecuting the case.
