Chinedu Ekuma, a 45-year-old resident of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in federal court on Tuesday. The plea was entered before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher in Philadelphia.
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the plea, stating that Ekuma admitted to running a scheme that defrauded victims of nearly $2 million between August 2020 and March 2023. According to court documents, Ekuma owned two companies, Intelaris Solutions, LLC and Verge Capital. He opened several bank accounts under these entities’ names.
Ekuma and others involved in the scheme persuaded individuals and businesses to send payments to the bank accounts controlled by Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital. They did so by falsely claiming these accounts were associated with the intended recipients of those funds. In reality, neither company had any legitimate relationship with the victims.
The scheme also included the creation of fraudulent documents suggesting that Intelaris Solutions and Verge Capital were entitled to receive money from the victims. After obtaining the funds, Ekuma transferred most of the proceeds to co-conspirators while keeping some for himself.
Authorities reported that more than $1.75 million was received through this scheme, with attempts made to secure an additional $650,000 from other victims.
Ekuma is scheduled for sentencing on March 12 and could face up to 40 years in prison if given the maximum penalty.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis Weber.
“United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Chinedu Ekuma, 45, of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher on two counts of wire fraud, in connection with a scheme that defrauded victims of nearly $2 million.”
