Ghanaian man in $65,000 cheque scam convicted in US

A Ghanaian resident of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Washington County in the US who was arrested for cheque scams sometime in March 2009 has been convicted.

According to reports in the US media seen by ghanabusinessnews.com, the man, Steven Mensah-Yawson, 33 faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, federal prosecutors in Pittsburg were quoted to have said.

The US Attorney’s Office said he worked with multiple recruiters and at least 15 cheque cashers to perpetrate the fraud.

Mensah-Yawson was said to have made counterfeit cheques on his laptop computer and gave them to his collaborators who either cashed them or found others to do so. The ring, the reports said passed 55 counterfeit cheques. A jury convicted him last week and sentencing has been set for January 7, 2011.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi