In connection with a massive fraud and money laundering scheme that preyed on U.S citizens, businesses, and financial institutions nationwide, more than thirty people have received sentences.
The defendants defrauded several victims out of more than $30 million using a variety of crimes, including retirement account scams, romance fraud schemes, and business email breach schemes.
The U.S. Department of Justice has been working nonstop for more than four years to bring this egregious criminal organization’s scores of victims justice. Ryan K. Buchanan, an attorney
The defendants’ sentences should serve as a strong reminder to others that this office and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners place a high priority on combating fraud and money laundering activities.
‘Ghanaians’ among dozens sentenced for roles in fraud, money laundering that stole over $30m in U.S
“Several participants in this conspiracy got money from ERISA-protected employee benefit plans improperly. The money was deposited into personal and commercial bank accounts that were set up as part of this money-laundering scheme and came from the retirement accounts of naked individuals.
Workers and upcoming retirees lost a sizable percentage of their hard-earned retirement assets due to the conspirators’ greed. Together with U.S. law enforcement, we will keep cooperating. Matthew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, stated that the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor was established to safeguard the integrity of employee benefit plans.
According to Keri Fairly, special agent in charge of the FBI Atlanta, “These fraud scams, although not violent, are not victimless and can be devastating to businesses and individuals who fall prey to them.” The FBI is committed to working with our partners to hold responsible anyone who would take from diligent and honorable people rather than do the work themselves, as seen by the sentences imposed on all of these defendants.
Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who is in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama, stated that the scammers’ only motivation was to benefit themselves. In order to safeguard the integrity of the country’s financial system and make sure that financial crimes do not go unpunished, HSI and its law enforcement partners will keep up their persistent efforts.
According to Steven R. Baisel, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, “This sentencing demonstrates the Secret Service’s dedication to protecting our nation’s financial systems.” Atlanta Field Office of the Secret Service “We are grateful for the dedication and assistance of our law enforcement partners as we collaborated to bring this case to justice.”
America claims. According to attorney Buchanan, the accusations, and other data produced in court, the defendants were involved in several money-laundering and fraud schemes that defrauded victims across the globe and in the United States of millions of dollars. The defendants are accused in numerous connected open cases.
U.S.: The following people received sentences for their various roles in this criminal plot from District Judge William M. Ray, II:
Joshua Roberts, 32, of Houston, Texas, also known as “Onyx,” was given an eight-year prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was also ordered to pay $9,675,739.73 in restitution to the victims. He admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on March 29, 2022, and was sentenced on August 10, 2022.
The real name of Darius Sowah Okang is Michael J. Casey. “Richard Resser,” “Thomas Vaden,” “Michael Lawson,” “Matthew Reddington,” and “Michael Little,” 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, were given a term of seven years and ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and were also required to make restitution payments to the victims totaling $6,204,119. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and aggravated identity theft on September 2, 2021, and on March 17, 2022, he received his sentence.
The court sentenced George Kodjo Edem Adatsi, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, to five years and ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $3,373,797.43 in restitution to the victims. He admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on April 7, 2021, and was sentenced on July 21, 2021.
The court sentenced Benjamin Ibukunoluwa Oye, 29, of Sandy Springs, Georgia, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $1,163,127.01 in compensation to the victims. After entering a plea of guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering on March 4, 2020, he was sentenced on March 21, 2023.
Prince Sheriff Okai, 29, of Mableton, Georgia, was found guilty and given a sentence of four years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, as well as an order to pay $4,950,586.54 in restitution to the victims. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 6, 2020, and on January 12, 2021, he received his sentence.
Hamza Abdallah, also known as “Reggie Lewis,” was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was also ordered to pay $5,051,473.87 in compensation to the victims. Abdallah, 33, of McDonough, Georgia, received this term. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on November 18, 2020, and on February 24, 2021, he was sentenced.
Dominique Raquel Golden, 32, of Houston, Texas, also known as “Desire Tamakloe,” “Mellissa Moore,” “Nicole Nolay,” “Raquel Roberts,” “Maria Henderson,” and “Raquel Golden,” was given a four-and-a-half-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, and she was also ordered to pay $7,830,607.05 in restitution to the victims. After entering a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering on September 30, 2021, she was sentenced on March 28, 2022.
The court also ordered that Kelvin Prince Boateng, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia, pay $870,333 in compensation to the victims after receiving a term of three years and 10 months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. After entering a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering on March 2, 2021, he was sentenced on June 17, 2021.
29-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, resident Jonathan Kojo Agbemafle, commonly known as “Skinny,” received a term of three years and ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was also required to pay $2,637,625.01 in restitution to the victims. He admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on April 4, 2022, and was sentenced on August 8, 2022.
Blessing Oluwatimilehin Ojo, commonly known as “Timmy,” 37, of Nigeria, was found guilty and given a sentence of $1,711,304 in victim restitution and three years and ten months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. He admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on July 19, 2022, and was given his sentence on October 26, 2022.
Desire Elorm Tamakloe, better known as his stage name “Chubby,” 28, of Smyrna, Georgia, was given a term of three years and ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and she was also required to pay $1,215,357.81 in compensation to the victims. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 13, 2022, and on April 18, 2023, he received his sentence.
The court sentenced Stephen Abbu Jenkins, 56, also known as “Face,” “Steven Abbu Jenkins,” “Steven Jenkins,” and “Steve Jenkins,” to three years and seven months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $726,290 in reparations to the victims. After entering a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering on August 8, 2022, he was sentenced on February 22, 2023.
Obinna Nwosu, 29, of Douglasville, Georgia, received a sentence of three years and one month in jail, followed by three years of probation, and she was also ordered to pay $1,045,065.75 in restitution to the victims. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on September 17, 2020, and on December 16, 2020, he received his sentence.
Ojebe Obewu Ojebe, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was given a term of three years and one month in jail, followed by three years of supervised release, and she was also required to pay $893,879.55 in restitution to the victims. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on June 2, 2022, he received his sentence on September 27, 2022.
Francesco Benjamin, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, also known as “B-More,” was given a three-year and a half prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, and he was also ordered to pay $987,070 in compensation to the victims. He admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on October 19, 2022, and was sentenced on March 1, 2023.
The court sentenced Chukwukadibia Ikechukwu Nnadozie, 30, of Fayetteville, Georgia, also known as “Chuka” and “Michael McCord,” to three years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $231,507.19 in compensation to the victims. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on November 28, 2022, and on May 9, 2023, he received his sentence.
Abubakar Sadik Ibrahim, 29, of Mableton, Georgia, was found guilty and given a three-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, as well as a $1,193,750.27 victim restitution order. He admitted to conspiring to launder money on September 27, 2021, and was sentenced on February 1, 2022.
The court also ordered that John Ifeoluwa Onimole, 31, of Powder Springs, Georgia, pay $1,117,966.06 in reparations to the victims and serve three years in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. After entering a guilty plea to money laundering on December 7, 2022, he was given a sentence on April 25, 2023.
The court also ordered Chadrick Jamal Rhodes, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, to pay $120,000 in reparations to the victims after giving him a sentence of two years and 11 months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft on October 12, 2021, and on January 31, 2022, he received his sentence.
Chadwick Osbourne Stewart, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was also ordered to pay $60,000 in reparations to the victims. He was given a term of two years and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He admitted guilt to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft on October 22, 2021, and on January 26, 2022, he was sentenced.
Macario Lee Nelson, also known as “Mac,” 27, of Atlanta, Georgia, was found guilty of theft and forced to pay $120,000 in restitution to the victims. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He admitted guilt to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft on September 29, 2021, and on February 17, 2022, he was sentenced.
Afeez Olaide Adeniran, also known as “Ola,” 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was found guilty and given a sentence of two years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, along with a need to pay $352,830.25 in restitution to the victims. After entering a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering on August 18, 2022, he was sentenced on October 6, 2022.
Kahlia Andrea Siddiqui, 31, of Chamblee, Georgia, received a sentence of two years and six months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release, and she also had to pay $325,811 in restitution to the victims. She admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on August 9, 2022, and was sentenced on February 22, 2023.
Solomon Agyapong, 34, of Marietta, Georgia, also known as “Gumpe,” was given a sentence of two years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was also ordered to pay $496,123.92 in compensation to the victims. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 11, 2022, and on April 18, 2023, he received his sentence.
The court also ordered that Christopher Akinwande Awonuga, 31, of Fayetteville, Georgia, pay $113,276.27 in restitution to the victims. He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On August 22, 2019, he admitted to conspiring to conduct bank fraud, and on January 8, 2020, he was sentenced.
Emanuela Joe Joseph, 37, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was given a two-and-a-half-year prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release, and she was also ordered to pay $442,557.08 in compensation to the victims. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 26, 2022, and on February 21, 2023, she was sentenced.
Seth Appiah Kubi, 63, of Dacula, Georgia, was given a two-year prison term with one year of supervised release after that. On March 4, 2020, he entered a guilty plea to aggravated identity theft, and on July 7, 2020, he received his punishment.
Oluwafunmilade Onamuti, 29, of Duluth, Georgia, also known as “Mathew Kelvin,” was given a sentence of one year and ten months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release, and was also required to pay $167,195 in restitution to the victims. He admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering on April 7, 2021, and was sentenced on July 21, 2021.
The court also ordered Paul Chinonso Anyanwu, 31, of Hampton, Georgia, to pay $57,000 in compensation to the victims after receiving a term of one year and six months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. On September 18, 2019, he admitted to conspiring to launder money, and on December 19, 2019, he was sentenced.
Casey Broderick Williams, 29, of Covington, Georgia, received a sentence of one year and one day in jail, followed by three years of probation, and was also forced to pay $60,000 in reparations to the victims. On July 30, 2019, he entered a guilty plea to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced on June 2, 2022.
The court also ordered that Alexus Ciera Johnson, 29, of Mableton, Georgia, pay $106,879 in restitution to the victims after receiving a term of one year and one day in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 11, 2022, and on May 22, 2023, she was sentenced.
Egale Veonzell Woods, Jr., 44, of East Point, Georgia, was also ordered to pay $165,007.19 in restitution to the victims in addition to receiving a term of one year in jail, followed by three years of supervised release. On March 4, 2020, he admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering, and on April 21, 2021, he was sentenced.
Gregory Thomas Hudson, 42, of Powder Springs, Georgia, was also ordered to pay $125,291.45 in compensation to the victims in addition to receiving a term of 10 months in jail, followed by 10 years of closely monitored release. He admitted to conspiring to commit bank fraud on March 14, 2022, and was sentenced on June 27, 2022.
Uchechi Chidimma Odus, also known as “Uche,” 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, was found guilty and given a term of 10 months in jail, followed by three years of supervised release, as well as an order to pay $83,345.47 in restitution to the victims. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on December 21, 2022, and on May 17, 2023, she was sentenced.
Matthan Bolaji Ibidapo, also known as “B.J.,” 30, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, received an eight-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release during which time he must spend some time in home confinement, and he was also ordered to pay $82,490.50 in restitution to the victims. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on November 1, 2022, and on February 21, 2023, he received his sentence.
The court also ordered Tyler Keon Roussell, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, to pay $368,400.49 in compensation to the victims after giving him a sentence of six months in jail, followed by six years of supervised release with some time spent in home confinement. On May 16, 2019, he admitted to conspiring to commit bank fraud, and on February 21, 2022, he was sentenced.
Monique Wheeler, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was also ordered to pay $71,010 in restitution to the victims as part of her sentence, which included three months in jail and three years of supervised release, with some of it to be served in home confinement. She pleaded guilty to money laundering on July 13, 2022, and was given her sentence on December 2, 2022.
The court also ordered Chineda Obilom Nwakudu, 28, of McDonough, Georgia, to pay $123,645.85 in restitution to the victims and serve three years of probation, with a portion of it to be served in home confinement. On August 23, 2019, he admitted to conspiring to commit money laundering. He was sentenced on February 22, 2023.
On January 30, 2023, a jury found Atlanta, Georgia, resident Ahamefule Aso Odus, 30, guilty of many serious money laundering counts and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His judgment is still pending.
Motswana Mulongo, 38, of Decatur, Georgia, also known as “David Mulongo” and “Henry Tipton,” was found guilty on March 10, 2023, of conspiring to commit money laundering. The date of his sentencing is set for June 22, 2023.
The charges brought against Oumar Bouyo Mbodj of Kennesaw, Georgia, were dropped since he passed away.
The cornerstone drug, money laundering, and transnational organized crime enforcement program of the Department of Justice, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), oversaw the conduct of this investigation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor, United States Secret Service, and U.S. investigations into national security conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement The Department of Labor, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and several federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies provided the investigating agencies with a great deal of assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell Phillips and Kelly K. Connors.
CREDIT: citinewsroom.com