Portland: A Washington man has pleaded guilty to defrauding a Portland resident of more than $333,000 through a fake online romance scheme that lasted nearly four years and involved fabricated identities of two women.
Rithy Ham, 45, from Vancouver, Washington, admitted to wire fraud and money laundering charges following a scheme carried out between September 2020 and May 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Investigators found that Ham posed as two fictional women and convinced the victim that they needed money for basic expenses, nursing education and assistance in escaping prostitution and human trafficking. By repeatedly communicating through these invented identities, he maintained the deception and persuaded the victim to make multiple financial transfers.
In November 2022, Ham claimed that one of the women urgently needed money to escape sex trafficking. The victim subsequently transferred $36,872.35. Ham later diverted $18,500 from the proceeds to issue a cheque to his wife.
The fraud continued in March 2023, when further false claims prompted the victim to withdraw $20,922 from a retirement account and transfer it into accounts controlled by Ham and his wife.
The total amount stolen was $333,249.52, with a substantial portion coming from the victim’s retirement savings.
As part of his plea agreement, Ham accepted responsibility for both offences and agreed to provide full restitution. He also consented to a forfeiture judgment matching the amount stolen.
Wire fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, while money laundering carries up to 10 years. The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Bateman.
