PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Lehigh County man pleaded guilty Tuesday to orchestrating an elaborate wire fraud scheme that diverted nearly $2 million in payments meant for legitimate businesses and individuals, federal prosecutors said.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced that Chinedu Ekuma, 45, of Catasauqua, admitted to two counts of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge John M. Gallagher. Ekuma was charged earlier this month and now faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
According to court filings, from August 2020 through March 2023, Ekuma and co-schemers deceived both individuals and businesses by rerouting their intended payments into bank accounts he controlled. Prosecutors said Ekuma created two entities — Intelaris Solutions, LLC and Verge Capital — and opened multiple bank accounts in their names…