Dual citizen admits to laundering romance scam proceeds
2023-04-27 · Press release
Summary: A 39-year-old man who holds citizenship in the United States and Ghana has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal money transmitting business
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old man who holds citizenship in the United States and Ghana has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kenneth Anim had resided in the Houston and Richmond areas.
He admitted that from 2014 to 2019, he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to launder funds from wire fraud schemes including internet fraud and romance scams. Anim ran the unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed only on paper.
As part of the plea, he acknowledged opening and maintaining bank accounts to collect proceeds from internet and romance fraud schemes to send the money to himself, co-conspirators and overseas.
A romance scam occurs when criminals adopt fake online identities to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a close relationship to induce the victim, under false pretenses, to send money to the scammer.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein accepted the plea and set sentencing for July 21. At that time, Anim faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Amin has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Grace Murphy are prosecuting the case.
- district_office
- Southern District of Texas
- usa_name
- Alamdar S. Hamdani
- event_type
- plea
- judge_name
- Ewing Werlein
- judge_title
- U.S. District Judge
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- $250,000
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
- timeline_json
- {"indictment_date": null, "plea_date": null}
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/dual-citizen-admits-laundering-romance-scam-proceeds
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1539 | Kenneth Anim | defendant | Houston and Richmond areas | 39 | United States and Ghana | pleaded guilty | ||
| 1540 | Alamdar S. Hamdani | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | ||||
| 1541 | Ewing Werlein | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | ||||
| 1542 | Belinda Beek | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | ||||
| 1543 | Grace Murphy | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 941 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | conducted the investigation | ||
| 942 | United States Attorney's Office | USAO | prosecution | Belinda Beek, Grace Murphy | prosecuting the case |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 756 | operating an illegal money transmitting business | five years in federal prison | $250,000 | Kenneth Anim | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:56+00:00 | ||||||
| 2705 | operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to launder funds from wire fraud schemes including internet fraud and | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:56+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2706 | unlicensed money transmitting business to launder funds from wire fraud scheme | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:56+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2707 | unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed o | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:56+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245 | fine | $250,000 | USD | maximum fine for the offense | Kenneth Anim | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 174 | individual | victims of romance scams | induced to send money under false pretenses through fraudulent romantic relationships |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222 | A 39-year-old man who holds citizenship in the United States and Ghana has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal money transmitting business | Alamdar S. Hamdani | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | statement | Announcement of guilty plea | Marks formal admission to operating an illegal money transmitting business tied to romance scam proceeds |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 890 | Money Laundering | Laundering funds from wire fraud and romance scams using shell companies and bank accounts. | Central to the case as the method used to conceal illicit proceeds. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Historical trend | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, Victims |
| 891 | Romance Scams | Fraudulent schemes where scammers build trust online to extort money from victims. | Source of the laundered funds, highlighting the nature of the underlying criminal activity. | 18 U.S.C. § 1343 | International | Historical trend | Victims, Law enforcement |
| 892 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Operating an illegal money transmitting business through shell companies and bank accounts without proper licensing. | The primary charge leading to the guilty plea. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Historical trend | Law enforcement, Financial institutions |
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