Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 25- year-old Kelsey Dapaah of Buffalo and 24-year-old Nkemjika Ogbuagu of Yonkers pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller to five counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree and one count of Criminal Possession of a Forgery Device.

The charges arise from a year-long investigation by the Erie County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police into a series of unauthorized charges on victims’ credit cards. 

The co-defendants admitted to manufacturing dozens of forged credit cards and debit cards with stolen personal identifying information and using them for local and online purchases.

A third co-defendant, 23-year-old Mohamed Kaba of Yonkers has been indicted and is scheduled for trial on January 23, 2017.

Ogbuagu will be sentenced on December 9, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. by Justice Boller. Dapaah will be sentenced by Justice Boller on December 20, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. They both face a maximum of 2 1/3-7 years in prison.

Acting DA Flaherty commends the investigative work of Detective Daniel Brinkerhoff of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

Paul E. Bonanno, Chief of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Brian P. Dassero are prosecuting the case.