Maryland Busts $9.5 Million #BEC Money Laundering Ring

 

Three indictments have been unsealed in Maryland that document an extensive network of shell companies that were used to wash at least $9.5 Million in funds from at least fifteen #BEC (Business Email Compromise) cases across the country.  

In the first indictment, those charged (with an example address from their respective shell companies): 

• Adanegbe Gift Osemwenkhae - 8304 DEBORAH ST, CLINTON, MD 20735 (this property is listed as owned by Kat Osemwenkhae, who uses the email  kateivie@yahoo. Adanegbe is also listed as  controlling "Ivie LLC"  from the same address.) 
• Faizou Gnora - 12825 LOCBURY CIR, #B, GERMANTOWN, MD 20874
• Emily Gil Arias - 4107 DAHILL RD, SILVER SPRING, MD 20906
• Fatoumata Boiro - 16202 PENTERRA WAY, BOWIE, MD 20716
• Lawrence Ogunsanwo - 308 WILLOW HILL PLACE, HYATTSVILLE, MD 20785
• Lakeisha Parker - 2044 NORTH BENTALOU ST, BALTIMORE, MD 21216
• Martin Ogisi - 8405 CHEVY CHASE LAKE TERR, 701 CHEVY CHASE, MD 20815
• Blondel Ndjouandjouaka-* - 3323 TEAGARDEN CIRCLE, APT. 202, SILVER SPRING, MD 20904
• Kevin Colon - 8714 HAYSHED LANE, APT 302, COLUMBIA, MD 21045
• Lorena Perez Herrera - 9466 GEORGIA AVE #1277, SILVER SPRING, MD 20910

* - Blondel is my favorite of this gang, claiming both Computer Science and Criminal Justice degrees and claiming to work in Cybersecurity including as a Phishing Analyst. 

• Yahya Sowe - 1012 Good Hope Dr, Silver Spring, MD 20905
• Victor Killen - 28 Capricorn Ct, Derwood, MD 20855
• Areal El-Lovieta Harris - 29219 Middleham Ct, Hanover, MD 21076 
• Gedeon Agbeyome - 25 years old, also mentioned in the case, was arrested in 2020 possessing a credit card skimmer and many cards. Like several others in the case, he studied Computer Science at Montgomery College, Maryland. He was also arrested in Alabama in April 2023) 

We didn't see the alias "Papa Kwam" in use, but his Facebook account is in the name "Don Kwame." 

All three cases make reference to one another, with the exception that Gedeon's 2-page indictment for Aggravated Identity Theft is stand-alone.  While he is not named as a defendant in case #2, he is referred to throughout that case.

Victim Organizations  (many/most are Business Email Compromise)

a) an environmental Trust 

b) an urban redevelopment program 

c) a Medical Center 

d) a transportation company 

e) an apartment complex company 

f) a K-12 school district in Montana

g) a private liberal arts college 

h) the Delaware River & Bay Authority 

i) a Colorado real estate agency 

j) Larimer County, Colorado 

k) an RV dealership 

l) a health care center with 17 locations 

m) a real estate / property management firm 

n) a real estate company in Texas 

o) Vigo County, Indiana 

The indictment makes clear that the defendants' Shell Companies DID NOT:

- have physical operations

- have business premises 

- engage in legitimate business activities 

- earn gross revenues

- incur cost of goods sold 

- incur administrative expenses associated with business operations 

- report wages for employees to the State of Maryland 

- have significant numbers of employees 

A little hint for those who screen business accounts.  If one runs an Automobile Dealership from a residential neighborhood and has never purchased a car and has no employees, it is unlikely to be a thriving business that you would want to bank! 

The Shell companies listed in the indictments include: 

Gifted LLC; Blue Skye Realty; Faiz Automobiles LLC; First Realty Management LLC; FB Morgan LLC; Smart Logistics LLC; Parker Transports LLC; Blaxstone Enterprises LLC; Satisfied Health Care LLC; KC All Pro HVAC Service LLC; Colon Enterprise LLC; Lorena Perez Herrerra LLC; YS Estate and Properties; Victor's Trucking and Pull LLC; Vieta Collection; The Justin Company LLC; [ID-theft victim] Company LLC

That list of companies is not the full extent of the shell corporations operated by the accused.  As an example, Faizou Gnora had many businesses: 

- First Realty Management LLC, 12825 Locbury Cir, #B, Germantown, MD 20874 

- Faiz Express Trucking LLC, 369 W. Side Dr, 102, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 

- Gnora Capital LLC, 6800 Wisconsin Ave #1086, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 

- Premier Strength Training LLC, 12825 Locbury Cir, Apt B, Germantown, MD 20874 

- Faiz Automobiles  LLC,  12825 Locbury Cir, Suite B, Germantown, MD 20874

- Faiz Express Trucking LLC, 225 S Whiting St Apt 307, Alexandria, VA 22304-7132 

Her "Faiz Express Trucking" company is listed with the Department of Transportation, which gives the Alexandria address for the company, but notes Faizou's Gathersburg address for the point of contact. 

 

The companies listed in the indictment had the following accounts use for money laundering:  

Bank of America - 3 accounts

Capital One Bank - 6 accounts 

Citibank - 6 accounts 

JPMorgan Chase - 3 accounts 

PNC Bank - 7 accounts 

M&T Bank Corporation - 2 accounts 

Navy Federal Credit Union - 2 accounts 

SunTrust/Truist - 6 accounts 

Wells Fargo - 5 accounts 

Woodforest Bank - 6 accounts 

As a further example of how tightly connected these cases are, all of the bank accounts listed in the second indictment are also found in the first indictment.  Based on the charges in the two indictments, between 17NOV2020 and 21OCT2022, the crew moved at least $7.2 Million between their shell companies as described below. 

The big unanswered question to me is - THEN WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?  Based on the seizures, very few of the funds were still in the possession of the laundering crew.  So who recruited them?  And where did the funds go when they left their control?  We MUST keep pulling the string and find out! 

I was curious why DCIS was one of the investigating agencies here.   The DOJ Press release says that: "As a result of a law enforcement operation on February 7, 2024, 10 defendants were arrested at locations throughout Maryland and three search warrants were executed related to an alleged money laundering conspiracy involving more than $9.5 million in proceeds from fraud schemes. Law enforcement 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 participated in yesterday’s searches and arrests. Additional defendants are currently fugitives."

The only person among the defendants that I see is military so far is Areal Harris: