Lawrence Francis

A Slippery Rock man, one of three African nationals charged in a nationwide online puppy scheme, pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in the enterprise.

Lawrence N. Francis, 28, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct before Butler County President Judge Thomas Doerr.

The plea agreement calls for a sentence of time served to 6 months in Butler County Prison, restitution and costs. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 25.

Francis also agreed to relinquish frozen assets and a bank account, to the tune of about $12,000, according to the Butler County District Attorney's Office.

Francis was initially charged alongside Lawrence N. Tchakounte, 27, and Emmenuel Nkwate, 32, all natives of Cameroon.

Police said Francis and Tchakounte attended Slippery Rock University, and both were in the United States on student visas, while Nkwate was here on a refugee visa.

State police filed the charges after an investigation into the sale of boxer puppies through Craigslist and other online sites, where customers sent an average of $700 to the three believing they were going to get a boxer puppy, but never received the dogs.

Police allege the scheme netted tens of thousands of dollars from victims across the country. The money was laundered and eventually made its way to Africa, police said.

Tchakounte was arrested in Lawrence County in March 2017 by Shenango Township police in connection with a similar online scam. That arrest eventually led to search warrants and the identification of his alleged accomplices. A search of Francis' car, which Tchakounte was driving when he was arrested, turned up receipts linked to the suspected scam, a fake Delaware driver's license and a fraudulent vehicle registration plate, police said.

Police also searched the defendants' apartment and found more receipts and other evidence of their involvement in the online puppy racket, documents said,

During the investigation, officers also uncovered fake identification, including evidence of phony passports that the defendants were using, police said.

Tchakounte was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he pleaded guilty to felony corrupt organizations Oct. 18 and was sentenced to 9 to 18 months in Butler County Prison, where he was paroled on time served.

Tchakounte told investigators that he came to the U.S. in January 2017 and that he did not know the other two individuals before arriving. By the time he landed here, Francis and Nkwate were both involved in the online scheme, police said.

An arrest warrant was issued for Nkwate, whose whereabouts is still unknown. Assistant District Attorney Terri Schultz said he is currently wanted by federal authorities.