Harford County Man Sentenced for Identity Theft and Bank Fraud Scheme

A Harford County man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for his involvement in an extensive identity theft and bank fraud scheme, which included attempts to defraud financial institutions of $1.5 million. Victor Ojo, 30, of Belcamp, Maryland, also participated in a fraudulent scheme to secure $28,350 in unemployment insurance benefits from California during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ojo, who pleaded guilty, admitted to conspiring with others between 2016 and 2019 to misuse the IRS’s Modernized Internet Employer Identification Number system. Using stolen personal information, the group created fraudulent business entities, secured employer identification numbers, and opened bank accounts to deposit stolen or altered checks and fraudulent wire transfers. Law enforcement found evidence of the scheme, including fake IDs, financial documents, and surveillance footage linking Ojo to fraudulent bank accounts.

The investigation also uncovered Ojo’s role in unlawfully obtaining pandemic unemployment benefits from California in 2021. Fraudulently issued benefits were accessed through a debit card tied to a bank account under a stolen identity. Surveillance footage captured Ojo making ATM withdrawals in Harford County, Maryland, using the card.

The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 fraud enforcement efforts. The District of Maryland’s Strike Force, established to investigate large-scale pandemic relief fraud, played a key role in uncovering and prosecuting Ojo’s activities. In addition to prison time, Ojo was ordered to forfeit $20,014 and pay restitution of $78,350.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors.

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