A Maryland man has been sentenced for his role in a pet-selling fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Anomah Ndonwi, 32, of Chillum, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Prosecutors said Ndonwi and others operated fake businesses using websites that falsely advertised products for sale between September 2019, and December 2022. Those products included pets, such as dogs and horses, and agricultural goods like meat.

The victims, often foreign nationals or representatives of foreign businesses, responded to the fraudulent sale offers and paid for the goods via interstate or international wire transfers. However, after sending payment, the victims never received the goods.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ndonwi opened at least 14 U.S. bank accounts, primarily in Maryland, under alias names to receive the proceeds from the scheme. Prosecutors said he used fraudulent passports purportedly from the Republic of Cameroon to open at least 12 of those accounts.

In total, Ndonwi received at least $930,105 through the scheme, which impacted 10 or more victims.

Pet scams in Maryland

Maryland has seen a few types of pet scams.

In April, Maryland animal shelters told WJZ about a common nationwide scam where callers posed as shelter staff, convincing vulnerable pet owners their lost pets are not only found, but in need of treatment. The scammers then ask the owner for money.

A man who spoke to WJZ under the alias Travis recounted being scammed by someone he thought was the Maryland SPCA, an animal shelter in Baltimore. 

Also in April, a Maryland woman said she was scammed by a pet cremation service after she found out her cat's ashes were a bag of sand. 

Baltimore County Police opened an investigation into the company offering the cremation service, Loving Care Pet Funerals. Investigators raided the owner's property and found the remains of 38 dead dogs packed inside a hearse in the back of the property. 

It is not yet know whether charges were filed in that case.