Baltimore Woman Sentenced for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering and Wire Fraud Conspiracy

A Baltimore woman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for her involvement in a significant money laundering and wire fraud scheme, which included the fraudulent acquisition of COVID-19 relief funds. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox, also includes three years of supervised release, with a six-month period of home detention, and an order to pay over $8 million in restitution.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced the sentencing of Lakeisha Parker, 33, detailing her role in a multi-member conspiracy that operated from 2019 until November 2023. Parker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 22, 2025. Her admitted involvement included laundering proceeds derived from large-scale wire fraud activities and from fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advances. The EIDL program, established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was intended to provide emergency financial assistance to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of her plea agreement, Parker acknowledged conspiring with numerous individuals, including Adanegbe Gift Osenmwenkhae, Yahya Sowe, Gedeon Agbeyome, Victor Killen, Areal Harris, Bright Boateng, Faizou Gnora, Emily Gil Arias, Fatoumata Boiro, Lawrence Ogunsanwo, Martin Ogisi, Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, Kevin Colon, and Lorena Perez Herrera, among others. Together, they engaged in various financial transactions designed to conceal the origins and nature of the illicit funds. Parker personally handled over $1 million of these fraud proceeds. Her methods included establishing a limited liability company to act as a shell entity, opening multiple bank accounts under its name to receive and launder the proceeds of the fraud. She also utilized encrypted communication accounts to coordinate activities with her co-conspirators.

The victims of this extensive fraud scheme included a diverse range of entities, such as government agencies, organizations, and private companies. Among those affected were an environmental trust, an urban redevelopment program, a medical center, a transportation and logistics company, a school district, a college, and a county government. The District of Maryland Strike Force, one of five such units established nationwide by the Department of Justice, was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting this case. These strike forces are specifically tasked with targeting and dismantling criminal organizations and transnational actors engaged in large-scale fraud related to pandemic relief funds.

The CARES Act was enacted to provide crucial economic support during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering financial assistance through programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and EIDL. The strike forces, operating as interagency law enforcement initiatives, employ data-driven teams to identify and prosecute those who have misappropriated these vital relief funds. Individuals with information regarding attempted fraud related to COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or through the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

The investigation and prosecution were led by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) – Washington, D.C. Field Office, and the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the collaborative efforts of these agencies, as well as the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Bijon A. Mostoufi, and Jared M. Beim, who prosecuted the case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland.

Video Spotlight