ST. LOUIS — A man from St. Louis pleaded guilty to federal charges Tuesday and admitted participating in a series of frauds, including one that bilked a Wisconsin company out of $159,000 they paid for N-95 masks.
A co-conspirator of Prince J. Vamboi, 40, a citizen of Sierra Leone living in St. Louis, posed as a member of a group of businesses formed to discuss the supply and cost of safety equipment, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke said during Tuesday’s hearing.
In late March or early April of 2020, one of those companies was trying to find N-95 masks. Vamboi’s co-conspirator emailed them and claimed to know a company with a large number of masks.
Vamboi opened a bank account in St. Louis using an alias, and his co-conspirator told the company, Verona Safety Supply, to send $159,000. Verona never received the masks.
Vamboi had set up a series of bank accounts in 2019 using a fake U.S. visa and other documents to receive the proceeds of various frauds, including the cashing of a counterfeit check for $35,098. He also received a $18,750 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, which was supposed to help companies avoid pandemic-related layoffs, Klocke said.
Vamboi pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday to bank fraud and three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Vamboi is scheduled to be sentenced May 24, and could face 15-21 months in prison under recommended federal sentencing guidelines. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
