HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Houston man who holds citizenship in the United States and Ghana has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal money-transmitting business, the United States Department of Justice announced.
Kenneth Anim, who resided in the Houston and Richmond areas, confessed 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 business by using shell companies that existed only on paper, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said.
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As part of the plea, Anim 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. U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein accepted the plea and has set sentencing for July 21. 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, according to the Dept. of Justice.
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, DOJ said in a news release.
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