Four Texas Men Arrested and One Fugitive Sought for their Roles in Scheme to Launder Millions from

[TexasTowelie]

Four Texas Men Arrested and One Fugitive Sought for their Roles in Scheme to Launder Millions from Business Email Compromise Fraud


A federal grand jury indictment unsealed in Austin charges five Texas residents, all Nigerian nationals, for their roles in laundering millions derived from Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes. Two Austin residents, also Nigerian nationals, pleaded guilty earlier this year for their roles in the scheme.

That announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), San Antonio; and, Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Houston Division.

Bameyi Kelvin Omale, a 31-year-old resident of Houston; Nnamdi Nwosu, a 32-year-old resident of Houston; Chinonso Agbaji, a 29-year-old resident of Houston; Igho Calaba, a 25-year-old resident of Austin; and Chibuzor Stanley Uba, a 30-year-old resident of San Antonio, were all charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy. Nwosu, Agbaji, and Calaba were also each charged with one count of passport fraud in furtherance of the money laundering conspiracy. Yesterday and today, federal authorities arrested Omale, Agbaji, Calaba and Uba. Nwosu remains a fugitive in this case.

According to the indictment, the funds were largely derived from BEC schemes perpetrated against U.S. and foreign victims. Over $10 million was allegedly sent by victims to accounts controlled by the defendants, who were able to take in excess of $3 million before law enforcement or financial institutions stopped the fraudulent transfers. In a BEC scheme, scammers target businesses and individuals making wire transfer payments, often targeting employees with access to company finances. The scammers trick the employees into making wire transfer payments to bank accounts thought to belong to trusted partners—except the money ends up in accounts controlled by the fraudsters. Sometimes the scammers use computer intrusion techniques to alter legitimate payment request emails, changing the recipient bank accounts. Sometimes they send spoofed emails from email addresses similar to trusted partners.

Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/four-texas-men-arrested-and-one-fugitive-sought-their-roles-scheme-launder-millions