Recidivist Fraudster Sentenced To 160 Months In Prison

 

Matthew Blake Morrow-Wu Defrauded an Architecture Firm of Approximately $400,000 During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Obstructed Justice, and Fled from Prosecution

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton announced that MATTHEW BLAKE MORROW-WU, a/k/a “Blake Wu,” a/k/a “Blake Ho,” a/k/a “Blake Morrow,” a/k/a “Matthew Wu,” a/k/a “Matthew Ho,” a/k/a “Matthew Blake Morrow,” was sentenced today to 160 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein for perpetrating a scheme to defraud a Manhattan architecture firm during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which he obstructed justice and pled from prosecution.  On April 28, 2025, MORROW-WU pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, substantive wire fraud and mail fraud, impersonation of a federal officer, falsification of records, and obstruction of justice.   

“Morrow-Wu, a recidivist, preyed on a small business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “When he was caught, Morrow-Wu then tried to cover up his crimes and fled from prosecution.  Today’s sentence should make clear to fraudsters that there are significant consequences for their crimes.” 

According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court proceedings:

Between approximately 2020 and January 2023, MORROW-WU defrauded a Manhattan architecture firm (“Firm-1”) and its owners of nearly $400,000 through fraudulent check deposits and credit card transactions.  MORROW-WU carried out his scheme by using inside information obtained from Firm-1, which he used to steal money from Firm-1 and its clients, including by depositing Firm-1’s funds directly into his own bank accounts and accruing tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on Firm-1’s credit cards. 

This scheme was the latest in MORROW-WU’s lengthy history of fraud, including prior convictions for identity theft, check fraud, credit card fraud, passport fraud, and obstruction of justice. In addition to these convictions, MORROW-WU—despite not being a licensed attorney—misappropriated the state bar license of an attorney with a similar name, which he used to fraudulently obtain legal employment and to fraudulently incorporate various law offices. 

MORROW-WU also undertook significant efforts to conceal his fraudulent scheme, including by forging correspondence by Firm-1 and using his fake law practices as cover.  Moreover, in October 2022, MORROW-WU sent the victims a forged target letter purporting to be from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, which threatened the victims with criminal prosecution for committing fraud. 

MORROW-WU was arrested and charged with fraud offenses in January 2023.  In February 2025, while on bail pending trial, MORROW-WU submitted to the Court a false letter from a purported doctor claiming, inaccurately, that MORROW-WU had metastatic cancer, in an effort to delay his then-upcoming trial. Thereafter, MORROW-WU was charged with obstruction offenses and, after failing to appear for a scheduled court conference, fled to California, where he was apprehended by law enforcement. 

In addition to the prison term, MORROW-WU, 42, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $406,788.08, and ordered to pay $197,965.38 in restitution.        

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Postal Inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with the apprehension of MORROW-WU.