MANCHESTER, N.H. — Oumar Diallo, 23, has been sentenced to four to eight years in prison for his role in a phone scam that stole tens of thousands of dollars from New Hampshire residents. The sentencing took place Wednesday, with Diallo apologizing in court through an interpreter.
Prosecutors said Diallo served as a courier in the scheme, where victims were deceived by calls claiming a family member was involved in a fatal car accident involving a pregnant woman. Believing they were helping loved ones, victims were coerced into handing over large sums of money.
One victim testified in court, saying she was convinced her son had been in the accident and that the caller was a lawyer. She gave the scammers $24,000.
While Diallo’s defense argued that he was at a formative stage in brain development and could be rehabilitated with proper guidance, Judge William Delker expressed skepticism about his claimed innocence.
“Even though you don’t have a criminal record, and even though it’s clear you were not the mastermind behind this scheme, I also don’t believe that you were just an innocent or naive dupe or pawn in this criminal enterprise,” Judge Delker said.
Diallo maintained he believed he had a legitimate job and did not realize he was participating in a scam.
The emotional fallout from the scheme was severe. One victim told the court that their family has since adopted a special code word to confirm callers’ identities before continuing conversations.
Diallo’s sentence reflects the serious impact of the scam, even though he wasn’t identified as its leader. Authorities have not revealed whether other suspects are under investigation.
