PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A federal judge sentenced Alvin Pennue, a 32-year-old Liberian national, to 21 months in prison Friday for his role in a "black money" scheme that bilked victims out of thousands of dollars.
Under the scheme, a scam artist convinces a victim that he is in possession of thousands of dollars in U.S. currency that has been dyed black to avoid detection by customs agents. Only after the victim pays a large amount of money to buy the "currency" and the equipment to make the dye disappear, they discover that most of the bills are really just black construction paper.
Pennue was convicted in June on two counts of passing altered U.S. currency, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, having induced the victim to transport his money over state lines.
In addition to imposing a 21-month federal prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell on Friday ordered Pennue, who last known address was in Indianapolis, to three years of supervised release following his prison term and $5,000 in restitution to one of his victims.