A man from Prince George’s County, Maryland, pleaded guilty in a federal case involving a scheme to falsely advertise the sale of pit bull puppies, collecting the payments and never sending any animals.
Fonjeck Eric Azoh, 42, of Mount Rainier, advertised the animals for sale on various websites and collected at least $158,000 from more than 100 victims across 40 different states.
It happened between January 2019 and October 2020.
Prosecutors said Azoh would accept payments through money transfer business and would pick them up at local retail stores and elsewhere.
Azoh was arrested in January and has since been held in custody.
As part of his plea deal, Azoh agreed to pay restitution, which includes the forfeiture of $67,000 seized by law enforcement during the investigation and an additional $92,000 forfeiture money judgment.
Azoh pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries up to 20 years in federal prison, at sentencing on Nov. 17.
