Nigerian Man Sentenced for Stealing Over $1.3 Million from Club Accounts
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...By Seyi Oduyela
Published: December 31, 2009
Nigerian Man Sentenced for Stealing Over $1.3 Million from Club Accounts
Seyi Oduyela/Washington, DC
Akinyemi Bamisaiye, a/k/a Yemi Olufemi Bamisaiye, age 41, of Clarksville, Maryland and Sajjad Nazar Mahar, age 49, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, each to 52 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with a scheme to steal funds from their former employer, a country club in Silver Spring, Maryland, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Bamisaiye and Mahar pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering; Mahar also pleaded guilty to wire fraud. The defendants were taken into custody today to begin serving their sentence.
Bamisaiye and his partner-in-crime were sentenced in October 20, 2009
Judge Titus also issued an order of forfeiture of $1,346,883.98 against the defendants, the amount stolen from the country club, and in partial satisfaction of the money judgment, ordered the forfeiture of Bamisaiye’s vehicle.
According to Bamisaiye’s plea agreement and court documents, Bamisaiye was the controller, and Mahar was the general manager, of the country club. Bamisaiye’s duties included serving as the country club’s accountant and financial manager. Beginning in 2001, Bamisaiye and Mahar created fictitious employees, kept former employees on the payroll and placed individuals on the payroll that provided personal services to them (the “ghost employees”). Bamisaiye and Mahar caused electronic payments to be made from the country club to the ghost employees. Bamisaiye and Mahar then deposited many of the payroll checks into their personal accounts. In addition, the defendants took money from an operating and a capital account controlled by the country club.
Bamisaiye used the stolen money for his own benefit, including toward the purchase of a home, and the purchase of a vehicle. Mahar also wrote checks drawn on the country club accounts to pay his personal expenses, and to lease and purchase vehicles for his personal use. Mahar also wrote checks made payable directly to Mahar Farms, a business which he owned.
Mr. Bamisaiye is presently serving his jail term at the Federal Correctional Institution in McCrae, Georgia.
