A law enforcement operation conducted across Maryland, United States on Thursday, February 7, has led to the arrest of a Nigerian and nine others who are part of a money laundering scheme involving over $9,500,000.
The operation, involved agents from the Homeland Security Investigations Mid-Atlantic El-Dorado Task Force, the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
The operation was initiated based on two indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Maryland, which were unsealed upon the arrests of the defendants.
The arrested individuals include Adanegbe Gift Osemwenkhae, Emily Gil Arias, Fatoumata Boiro, Lakeisha Parker, Martin Ogisi, Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, Kevin Colon, Lorena Perez Herrera, Yahye Sowe, and Areal El-Lovieta Harris.
These defendants appeared in the US District Court in Baltimore before Magistrate Judge Charles Austin.
Adanegbe, Ogisi, and Blondel agreed to detention, while Sowe and Boiro were detained pending detention hearings scheduled for today Friday, February 9.
The indictments allege that the defendants orchestrated a scheme involving the creation and utilization of shell businesses and bank accounts to receive proceeds obtained from fraudulent activities.
Meanwhile, the victims including government agencies, organizations, and companies, were deceived into sending money to the conspirators’ bank accounts based on false pretenses.
The defendants then engaged in financial transactions to conceal and launder the illicit funds through various means, including cash withdrawals, the purchase of cashier’s checks, and international transfers.
The indictments further detail the defendants’ alleged use of a portion of the fraud proceeds for personal gain, including the purchase of vehicles and engagement in international financial transactions.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy and each count of money laundering.
However, Erek L. Barron a US Attorney commended the agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of these cases, acknowledging their diligent work.
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