A Sierra Leone man and former Manchester businessman, Solomon Yarteh, has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for his involvement in a fraudulent car loan scheme. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young.
Yarteh, aged 50, received his sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro. In addition to the prison term, he will undergo three years of supervised release following his guilty plea on July 1, 2024, to three counts of bank fraud. His co-defendants Donna Silva, Niurka Lebron, and Robesteur St. Felix had already pled guilty and were sentenced in 2022.
U.S. Attorney Young stated that "the defendant enlisted his friends and family members to submit multiple fraudulent loan applications to lenders over $400,000." She added that Yarteh fled the United States upon learning of an investigation but was later apprehended in Dubai with international cooperation.
Special Agent in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the United States Postal Inspection Service remarked on the successful conviction: “The sentencing of Mr. Yarteh is a direct result of the hard work of the prosecution team and law enforcement partners here in New Hampshire.”
Yarteh was previously the owner and President of Allied Imports, a car wholesaler based in Manchester that could only sell vehicles to dealers due to its licensing restrictions. However, between February 2019 and July 2019, Yarteh orchestrated a scheme with Cap’s Auto Sales' controller St. Felix to obtain fraudulent car loans from financial institutions using falsified documents.
The fraudulent activity allowed Yarteh to secure over $411,000 through these loans while attempting another $217,000 before leaving the country after being indicted in 2021. INTERPOL issued a Red Notice leading to his arrest by authorities in Dubai during spring 2023.
The case involved investigations by several agencies including the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service with additional support from various departments such as INTERPOL and international entities like the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Charles L. Rombeau led the prosecution efforts against Yarteh.