Financial Controller of Silver Spring Country Club Pleads Guilty to Stealing from Club Accounts

GREENBELT, MD—Akinyeme Bamisaiye, a/k/a Yemi Olufemi Bamisaiye, age 41, of Clarksville, Maryland pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal funds from his former employer, a country club in Silver Spring, Maryland, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his plea agreement, Bamisaiye was the controller, and co-defendant Sajjad Mahar was the general manager, of the country club. Bamisaiye’s duties included serving as the country club’s accountant and financial manager. Beginning in 2001, Bamisaiye and Mahar created fictitious employees, kept former employees on the payroll and placed individuals on the payroll who provided personal services to them (the “ghost employees”). Bamisaiye and Mahar caused electronic payments to be made from the country club to the ghost employees. Bamisaiye then deposited many of the payroll checks into his personal accounts.

Bamisaiye used the stolen money for his own benefit, including toward the purchase of a home, and the purchase of a vehicle.

As part of his plea, Bamisaiye agreed to forfeit up to $1,893,591, the amount the government contends was stolen from the country club. In partial satisfaction of the forfeited money judgment, Bamisaiye further agreed to forfeit his vehicle.

Bamisaiye faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for mail fraud; and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the value of the criminally-derived property for money laundering. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus scheduled sentencing for October 19, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.

Sajjad Nazar Mahar, age 49, of Kearneysville, West Virginia pleaded guilty on May 15, 2009 to mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. Judge Titus scheduled Mahar’s sentencing for October 19, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys David I. Salem and Christen Sproule, who are prosecuting the case.