A former JPMorgan Chase employee in Columbus, Ohio is heading to federal prison for stealing thousands of dollars from customers – while emptying people’s pockets in an online romance scam.
Prince Oduro has been sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for money laundering and wire fraud, reports the NBC-affiliated news station WCMH-TV.
The 34 year-old pleaded guilty to stealing a total of $1.8 million from victims, and he’s been ordered to pay it back.
“According to the federal complaint, Oduro accessed at least five customers’ bank information while working for JPMorgan Chase Bank in Columbus.
He then wired customers’ money to PayPal accounts and withdrew funds as cash.”
Oduro’s illicit banking endeavors began in 2015, along with the simultaneous online romance scam.
He told victims he needed money for a medical procedure, was an American soldier hurt overseas, or had access to a trove of gold and silver.
Oduro told one victim that her deceased husband had stolen expensive artwork, convincing her to send him around $400,000.
According to the complaint, Oduro was first arrested in 2022 and was recently rearrested in November of 2023 for continuing his romance scams.
Records from Oduro’s phone show he bragged about his crimes on WhatsApp.
“This is the only business in America I can do and make $20K in a month and not get arrested…
I’m locating money, I’m not fraud anyone… It’s called money laundering.”
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