Silver Spring Man Convicted After Five-Day Federal Trial of Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft with Losses of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Emmanuel Kusi Appiah, a/k/a Manny, age 47, of Silver Spring, Maryland, today for a years-long bank fraud conspiracy with losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

The jury’s guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Chief Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police; and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, from June 2013 through March 2018, Appiah committed a bank fraud scheme that defrauded individuals and financial institution victims of several hundred thousand dollars.

Specifically, the trial evidence proved that Appiah conspired with others to open bank accounts at 10 different financial institutions using the stolen identities of at least five individual victims, and under the business names of five shell corporations, including Global Tax Services Incorporated, Merchandise Services Incorporated, Imperial Pipe Incorporated, SJ Metal Incorporated, and Morgan Incorporated.  Appiah and his conspirators then used those fraudulent accounts to deposit stolen and altered business checks, convenience checks, and tax refunds.  Witnesses testified that Appiah then withdrew the fraudulent proceeds in cash, transferred the proceeds to other fraudulent accounts, or laundered the proceeds through the purchase of money orders, which Appiah and others used for their personal benefit.  

The government is also seeking restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses.

Appiah faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and for each of four counts of bank fraud; and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of two counts of aggravated identity theft.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for June 1, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Burden H. Walker, who are prosecuting the case.

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