A Chicago resident has admitted to participating in a wire fraud scheme that targeted members of the United States military. Dwayne D. Adams, 33, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.
Adams entered his plea before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr. He is the third and final defendant to plead guilty for involvement in defrauding active service members.
According to court documents, Adams worked with others who contacted recently enlisted military personnel through social media platforms. After establishing contact, someone from the group would pose as a senior military official and inform the service member that they were being underpaid and were owed additional money. The conspirators instructed victims to return their previous pay using a cash application, promising that they would then receive a higher salary rate from the military.
If the victims complied, Adams and his co-conspirators kept the transferred funds and did not return any money as promised. Adams helped facilitate these transactions by transferring victim funds into accounts accessible by all members of the scheme.
“Adams conspired with others that sought to defraud United States military service men and women through the use of social media. Adams is the third and final defendant to enter a guilty plea for his role in defrauding active service members of the United States military.”
Under federal law, Adams could face up to 20 years in prison without parole. Sentencing will be determined by the court after completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
“This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
