May 01, 2026
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Issa Jalloh, 26, of Darby, pleaded guilty to running a scheme that used fake cashier's checks and cash to purchase designer dogs from Lancaster County dog sellers. The group then resold the dogs for profit, prosecutors say.
A Delaware County man pleaded guilty to leading an organized crime ring that used fraudulent checks and fake cash to purchase designer dogs from dog sellers in Lancaster County.
Issa Jalloh, 26, of Darby, oversaw the group, which resold the dogs for profit in central and southeast Pennsylvania, Attorney General Dave Sunday said Thursday. The group was accused of using more than $366,000 in fake cashier's checks and cash to purchase the dogs, primarily Yorkshire terriers and French bulldogs, between December 2020 and August 2022.
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Designer dogs are the offspring of purebred dogs of different breeds. They are intentionally created to combine desirable traits of the different breeds.
As part of his plea deal, Jalloh will serve 18-36 months in state prison followed by three years of probation. He also was ordered to pay $366,445 in restitution.
"This defendant led a calculated criminal scheme to rake in huge profits based on transactions that he knew involved fake cash and checks," Sunday said in a statement. "Thanks to the strong collaboration between my office, the Pennsylvania State Police and other local law enforcement agencies, investigators were able to piece together the full scope of this illegal operation."
Jalloh pleaded guilty to felony charges of corrupt organization and criminal conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking. Five other people from the Philadelphia area also were involved in the scheme, Sunday said.
