DOJ Convicts 25 in $215M Email Fraud; $1.2M Seized

The Justice Department announced on April 30, 2026, that prosecutors secured convictions against 25 defendants in a business email compromise scheme that resulted in about $215 million in victim losses and affected more than 1,000 victims across 47 U.S. states and 19 countries. Authorities traced roughly $1.2 million in cashier’s checks, cryptocurrency and cash as part of the investigation.

Prosecutors said the scheme began with unauthorized access to legitimate business email accounts. After reviewing contacts and recent transactions, conspirators sent payment requests that appeared to come from known partners or clients, redirecting wire transfers to accounts controlled by the group. Victims included individuals, companies and organizations. Wire transfers ranged from tens of thousands of dollars up to multimillion-dollar payments; one firm wired $2.7 million to a shell company account controlled by a conspirator.

A four-day federal trial in Toledo ended with a jury finding three defendants guilty: Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, Aruan Drake and Peter Reed. Awoyemi and Drake were also convicted of money laundering conspiracy. Sentencing dates will be set after the court reviews presentence reports and considers each defendant’s role and criminal history.

Prosecutors described a layered laundering network that used fraudulently opened bank accounts, cash-transfer systems, shell companies and cashier’s checks to move and obscure stolen funds. About $50 million of stolen proceeds were converted into cashier’s checks and presented at New Dolton Currency Exchange, a Chicago-area money service business operated by co-defendant Lon Goodman. Authorities allege Goodman accepted checks from people using false identifications and processed transactions even after banks flagged the checks as linked to fraudulent funds. As banks and other channels became riskier, the operation increasingly routed payments through shell companies.

Items seized or listed for forfeiture in the case total nearly $1.2 million in cashier’s checks, cryptocurrency and cash, according to prosecutors. Law enforcement also identified luxury assets tied to the fraud, including three watches-a Patek Philippe Nautilus valued at about $45,000, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak valued at about $30,000 and a Richard Mille Felipe Massa valued at about $140,000-and a 4,423-square-foot residence in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio led the investigation and named multiple Ohio communities among victims, including Norwalk, Kent, Akron, Hudson, Maple Heights, Westfield Center, New Riegel and Greenwich. The case extended overseas to victims in countries such as Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Panama, Bermuda and Romania.

The Department of Justice summarized the outcome, stating, “After a four-day trial, a federal jury found two men and a woman guilty of involvement with an international email hacking scheme that defrauded more than 1,000 victims out of approximately $215 million. The scheme spanned 47 states and 19 countries.” Sentencing will follow court review of individual defendants’ conduct and records.