NEW HAVEN — A former Ansonia High School football star was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Thursday for his role in an online scam that defrauded senior citizens.
Montrell Dobbs, Jr., 28, will be on supervised release for three years after he gets out of prison. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office described Dobbs as a “money mule” in the scam, which ripped off 200 victims across the U.S. of more than $5 million between August 2015 and March 2020.
According to court documents, Dobbs was one of several people recruited by Farouq Fasasi of New Haven to help defraud targets. Dobbs, as a “mule,” was a willing conduit between the victims’ money and his associates, who have criminal cases pending.
How It Worked
The accused targeted an 84-year-old Missouri woman out of $30,000 after gaining her trust through an online dating site, according to a federal indictment. Fake online dating profiles were created, often filled with sympathetic info saying the fake persona’s spouse had recently passed away, or that the fake persona was in the military — all a ploy to lure victims. Eventually they claimed to need money for medical procedures and other fake scenarios.
The group scammed more than $13,000 out of a 85-year-old Texan by telling the person he or she had won the lottery — but needed to pay a series of fees and taxes in order to collect the winnings.
The authorities caught onto the con after postal investigators discovered a “significant number of packages” being sent to addresses connected to the group in New Haven and Hamden. The packages contained cash, checks, money orders and the like.
“Dobbs retrieved fraudulently obtained cash, checks and money orders that were sent through the mail to various addresses in New Haven, Hamden and Ansonia, and he retrieved funds that were wired through electronic money transfers,” according to a statement from the Office of Leonard C Boyle, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut.
“Also, using the alias Derek Williams, Dobbs retrieved from the Ansonia Post Office packages containing fraudulently obtained cash and checks. Dobbs deposited checks and money orders into his own bank account, kept a portion of the funds, and passed along the remaining money to other co-conspirators, either by mailing cash or depositing money into other bank accounts,” according to the statement.
Dobbs was specifically accused of playing a role in defrauding 25 victims out of more than $85,000. The judge ordered him to pay the money back.
Dobbs was arrested on March 12, 2020. He pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, the result of a plea agreement, in December 2020.
“Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable, and some victims lost their life savings,” according to the prepared statement. “One Connecticut victim lost more than $1 million.”
A Sad Day
Thursday’s sentencing was the end of a sad chapter for Dobbs, a sensation on the field while playing for the Ansonia Chargers. He started playing football at age 7, according to Q&A with The Valley Indy published in 2010, his senior year of high school.
He comes from a respected, community-minded family led by his mother, Charlene McFadden, who tragically died from COVID-19 in January. She was just 47 years old.
“Montrell Dobbs was born into a large, loving, active family solidly based in faith and caring for one another,” according to a sentencing memo authored by his lawyer, Justin T. Smith. “Though they did not have much money, his parents both worked hard and did their best to protect their children from the tough streets of New Haven. The family moved to Derby to get away from New Haven.”
Dobbs was a gifted athlete from the get-go.
“As he grew older, he mentored younger children. He was recognized as a leader,” his lawyer wrote.
Dobbs ran for 3,445 yards and scored 45 touchdowns during his senior season, according to ESPN.
Temple University recruited Dobbs, which he saw as “his best chance to be drafted into the National Football League,” according to his lawyer’s memo. He attended Temple for two years, and took out loans to finance it. The NFL dream faded, though Dobbs continued to play semi-pro.
Dobbs met Fasasi at some point in 2017 and began participating in the scam.
“For Montrell, it was a chance at easy money to support the dream,” his lawyer wrote, adding later: “Of course, any hope of the dream was gone when Montrell was arrested . . .”
Dobbs’ mother stuck by his side after he was charged.
“Despite her disappointment in her son, Charmaine never abandoned or rejected her son. She was supportive of him throughout and she encouraged Montrell to do the right thing and accept his responsibility and face the consequences. Letting his mom down was the hardest thing Montrell ever did,” his lawyer wrote.
Dobbs, free on a $100,000 bond, is scheduled to report to prison June 2.
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