A United States federal jury has convicted 25 individuals, including Nigerians, a Ghanaian and American nationals, over their roles in a sprawling $215 million international fraud scheme that targeted more than 1,000 victims across multiple countries.
The convictions followed a four-day trial in Toledo, Ohio, where three key defendants – Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, Aruan Drake and Peter Reed – were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Awoyemi and Drake were also convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, exposed a sophisticated “business email compromise” (BEC) operation that spanned 47 U.S. states and at least 19 countries.
According to court documents, the syndicate relied on hacked email accounts belonging to individuals, companies and organisations. After gaining access, the conspirators monitored communications to understand business relationships and payment patterns. They then sent carefully crafted fraudulent emails requesting payments that appeared legitimate.
Victims, unaware of the deception, transferred funds ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars into accounts controlled by the fraud network. In one instance, a company reportedly wired $2.7 million to a shell account operated by a member of the conspiracy.
Investigators revealed that the proceeds were laundered through a complex network of fraudulent bank accounts and cash transfer systems. About $50 million of the stolen funds was converted into cashier’s cheques and processed through a Chicago-area currency exchange business linked to one of the defendants, Lon Goodman, who was accused of knowingly facilitating the transactions despite repeated warnings from banks.
Authorities said victims were spread across numerous U.S. states including Ohio, New York, California, Texas and Florida, while international victims were identified in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Malaysia.
In Ohio alone, affected businesses were located in cities including Norwalk, Kent, Akron, Hudson and Maple Heights.
Assets seized or subject to forfeiture during the investigation included nearly $1.2 million in cash, cryptocurrency and cashier’s cheques, as well as luxury items such as high-end watches and a 4,423-square-foot residence in Georgia.
In addition to the three defendants convicted at trial, 22 others had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Among them are several Nigerian nationals and a Ghanaian national, alongside U.S.-based accomplices.
Prosecutors said sentencing for all 25 defendants will be determined by the court, taking into account their roles in the scheme and prior criminal records.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Border Patrol’s Sandusky Bay Intelligence Unit, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Robert Melching led the prosecution.
Authorities say the case underscores the growing global threat posed by cyber-enabled financial crimes and the increasing sophistication of fraud networks targeting businesses worldwide.
In addition to the convictions obtained after trial of Awoyemi, Drake, and Reed, the following defendants pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Money Laundering Conspiracy:
Ayobami Osas Christopher, aka Lovely Man, 30, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Lawrenceville, Georgia
Emmauel Okereke, aka Omo Igbo, 42, a Nigerian national, residing in Atlanta,
Olalekan Bashiru, aka Ola Bash, 36, a Nigerian national, residing in Chicago
Mark Dabney, 26, of Chicago
Casey Adesulu Jr., 28, of Houston
Jeremiah Agina, 29, a Nigerian national, residing in Houston
Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Olympia Fields, Illinois
Emily Agyemang, 35, of Joliet, Illinois
Ademola Balogun, 43, a Nigerian national, residing in Chicago
Olabode Bankole, 37, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Loganville, Georgia
India Barnes, 37, of Atlanta
Emmanuel Essilfie, 28, a Ghanaian national, residing in Naperville, Illinois
Chukwuemeka Evulukwu, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Atlanta
Jeremiah Glinsey, 32, of Chicago
Lon Goodman, 69, of Whiting, Indiana
Shaquille I. Jackson, 33, of Chicago
Mikhail Keize, 31, of Loganville, Georgia
Katiera Lackey, 25, of Houston
Kingsley Owusu, 37, a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Chicago
Anton Parker, 37, of Chicago
Carlton Pruitt, 27, of Bellwood, Illinois
Ronnell Spencer, 35, of Chicago
Prosecutors said each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
The investigations leading to the indictment were conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Intelligence Unit.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gene Crawford and Robert Melching led thr prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.