NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - A Newport News man has pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme that was targeting Navy servicemembers.
According to court documents, from approximately April to August 2021, 20-year-old Samari Smith conspired with at least four other people to commit credit union fraud by convincing account holders to withdraw and turnover funds to them under false pretenses.
Documents say Smith and his coconspirators targeted Sailors on online dating applications like Tinder.
They posed as women interested in a romantic relationship. Documents say they would ask Sailors to withdraw and turnover funds by telling them they were helping a relative in the Navy who was trying to send them money.
According to court documents, Smith was directly involved in the fraud scheme, which caused more than $40,000 in fraud losses to these victims.
Two co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty, including the leader of the conspiracy, 21-year-old Trequan Smith, of Hampton, and 23-year-old Emani Burton, also of Hampton.
Samari Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Trequan Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison. Burton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to a term of one day of incarceration and three years of supervised release.
