Bank fraud scheme lands Newark man in prison

A 26-year-old Newark man has been sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of probation for a bank fraud scheme that netted nearly half a million dollars, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Delaware.

Akeem Harris was sentenced last week by U.S. District Court Judge Sue L. Robinson and ordered to pay $422,946.04.

Harris pleaded guilty in June to bank fraud and money laundering.

Harris opened multiple bank accounts in the name of fictitious businesses and deposited stolen funds into those accounts between January and June, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. He then liquidated the proceeds in a series of transactions, including large cash withdrawals, before the fraud was detected.

“I am pleased with Mr. Harris’s sentence. Though not at the helm of the schemes, Mr. Harris played a vital role and made the schemes profitable for himself and others involved. I hope that others, when approached about playing a similar role, will understand that they will be held accountable for such conduct," said U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf.

Contact Jessica Masulli Reyes at 302-324-2777, jmreyes@delawareonline.com or Twitter @jessicamasulli.