Department of Justice , DOJ
Several U.S. businesses and individuals were targeted and hacked by Nigerian-linked fraud organisations in an email scheme that spanned 47 states and 19 countries. A good 25 defendants have been convicted in the international $215 million scam that targeted over 1,000 victims
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio said the suspects hacked emails which they used to generate proceeds from Ohio victims in Norwalk, Kent, Akron, Hudson, Maple Heights, Westfield Center, New Riegel, and Greenwich
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.
On April 24, 2026, a jury in Toledo, Ohio, convicted Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, 40, of Romeoville, Illinois, Aruan Drake, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Peter Reed, 35, of Oak Forest, Illinois, of Wire Fraud Conspiracy. Additionally, Awoyemi and Drake were convicted of a Money Laundering Conspiracy. U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp II presided over the trial.
In total, 25 defendants have been convicted for their roles in this fraud and money laundering scheme, commonly referred to as a “business email compromise.”
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, individuals, businesses, and other organizations in the United States, were targeted and hacked by Nigerian-linked fraud organizations. Their objective was to gain access to e-mail accounts held by individual users. The co-conspirators would then monitor the communications, and other activities of the individual email users to learn about their business practices and contacts. After gaining sufficient intelligence about the nature of a hacking victim’s activities, the co-conspirators would send a fraudulent e-mail to either the hacking victim, or to someone communicating with the hacking victim, requesting payment. Because the co-conspirators were familiar with the victims’ activities, the fraudulent e-mails were crafted in a way to convince recipients that the request for payment was for legitimate business activities. Once members of the conspiracy obtained payment from victims, conspiracy members used a web of fraudulently created bank accounts and cash transfer systems to launder and distribute the funds.
Approximately $50 million of the stolen money was used to purchase cashier’s checks that were presented for payment to the New Dolton Currency Exchange, a Chicago-area money service business owned and operated by co-defendant Lon Goodman. Goodman accepted cashier’s checks from co-conspirators who presented false identifications or presented checks payable to others. Goodman routinely accepted false know-your-customer information and continued doing business with individuals after being warned by banks that checks were obtained with stolen funds or otherwise returned as fraudulent. When it became too risky to accept cashier’s checks in an individual’s name, Goodman would nonetheless accept checks from those individuals payable to shell companies that those individuals controlled.
In Ohio, victim businesses affected were in Norwalk, Kent, Akron, Hudson, Maple Heights, Westfield Center, New Riegel, and Greenwich.
Outside Ohio, victims were identified in New York, California, Texas, Kansas, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, Delaware, Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, New Jersey, and numerous other states.
International victims were identified in Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Kuwait, Malaysia, Panama, Bermuda, Romania, and other countries.
The wire transfers sent by the victims ranged from tens of thousands, to millions of dollars. In one instance, a victim business sent $2.7 million to a shell company bank account that was controlled by a conspiracy member.
Among the items seized or subject to forfeiture during the investigation included:
Nearly $1.2 million worth of cashier’s checks, cryptocurrency, and cash
Patek Philippe Nautilus watch, $45,000 value
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch, $30,000 value
Richard Mille Felipe Massa watch, $140,000 value
4,423 square foot residence in Lawrenceville, Georgia
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
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 this prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
