A U.S. Cort sentenced the Nigerian citizen Elvis Eghosa Ogiekpolor, 46, to a 25-year prison term for money laundering after being convicted at trial. Ogiekpolor opened and directed others to open at least 50 fraudulent business bank accounts that received over 9.5 million dollars from various online frauds, including romance frauds and business email compromise scams (“BECs”). He and his co-conspirators then laundered the fraud proceeds using sham companies and their bank accounts.
“Ogiekpolor and his co-conspirators were part of a broader international network of online fraudsters and money launderers who wreaked havoc and devastation on unsuspecting individuals and businesses,”
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.
Beginning in at least October 2018 and continuing until August 2020, Ogiekpolor directed at least eight so-called “money mules” to open more than 50 fraudulent business bank accounts in Georgia in the names of a dozen sham companies.
The sham companies did not occupy physical premises, earn a legitimate income, or pay wages to employees. Ogiekpolor then provided the accounts to other co-conspirators to receive the proceeds from multiple romance frauds, BEC scams, and other frauds impacting dozens of victims in the U.S. and elsewhere, as well as multiple businesses. Besides some money mules, multiple romance fraud victims, mainly women, testified at trial.
In addition to Ogiekpolor, several of his co-conspirators have been convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with this case, including:
- Vere Whyte, 35, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, who pleaded guilty on November 15, 2021;
- Kutina Crawford, 49, of Lithonia, Georgia, who pleaded guilty on May 2, 2022;
- Ebony Parks, 28, of Jonesboro, Georgia, who pleaded guilty on May 11, 2022;
- Tiffany Gaines, 42, of Conyers, Georgia, who pleaded guilty on May 16, 2022; and
- Tamara Gaines, 48, of Conyers, Georgia, who pleaded guilty on July 11, 2022.
The Court will schedule a hearing for a later date, to determine the amount of restitution that Ogiekpolor owes.