Washington, D.C. Woman Sentenced for Her Role in Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering Conspiracy in Maryland

A Washington, D.C. woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her involvement in a large-scale money laundering conspiracy that processed millions of dollars derived from wire fraud. Lorena Perez Herrera, 29, was ordered by Judge Matthew J. Maddox to serve two years in prison and one year of supervised release. She was also mandated to pay $1,473,125.58 in restitution. Herrera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering in March 2025, admitting her direct participation in the laundering of approximately $1.5 million.

According to court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Herrera and her co-conspirators engaged in a scheme from 2020 until November 2023 to launder funds obtained through extensive wire fraud. The conspiracy involved numerous individuals who carried out various financial transactions to obscure the origins, nature, and control of the proceeds from these fraudulent activities. The victims of this scheme included a wide range of entities, such as government agencies, an environmental trust, an urban redevelopment program, a medical center, a transportation and logistics company, a school district, a college, and a county government.

To facilitate the money laundering, Herrera and her associates created shell companies, which were often structured as limited liability companies. They subsequently opened and managed bank accounts under the names of these shell entities to receive and process the illicit funds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland had previously indicted 14 defendants in connection with this conspiracy, with 13 having entered guilty pleas. One defendant, Faizou Gnora, 28, formerly of Alexandria, Virginia, remains at large.

Several other defendants have also pleaded guilty to charges related to this money laundering conspiracy. These include Adanegbe Gift Osemwenkhae, 39, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Emily Gil Arias, 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Fatoumata Boiro, 32, of Largo, Maryland; Lawrence Ogunsanwo, 33; Lakeisha Parker, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland; Martin Ogisi, 37, of Severn, Maryland; Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; and Kevin Colon, 34, of Curtis Bay, Maryland. Additionally, Yahya Sowe, 42, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Victor Killen, 33, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Gedeon Agbeyome, 31, of Montgomery County, Maryland; and Areal Harris, 27, of Hanover, Maryland, have admitted their guilt in conspiring to commit money laundering.

Further details revealed that Agbeyome also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, and Parker acknowledged her role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Osemwenkhae and Sowe admitted to managing and supervising aspects of the money laundering conspiracy. The overall scope of the conspiracy involved more than $20 million in laundered funds, impacting over 15 different victim organizations.

Prior sentencings in this case include Victor Killen, who received 63 months in prison and ordered to pay $7,070,656.46 in restitution; Gedeon Agbeyome, sentenced to 72 months in prison with restitution of $2,938,424.65; Lawrence Ogunsanwo, sentenced to 40 months in prison with restitution of $5,648,816.23; Lakeisha Parker, sentenced to 36 months in prison with restitution of $8,306,930.95; Martin Ogisi, sentenced to 33 months in prison with restitution of $11,077,044.17; Kevin Colon, sentenced to 27 months in prison with restitution of $2,515,159.63; Areal Harris, sentenced to 24 months in prison with restitution of $3,159,482.83; and Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, sentenced to 24 months in prison with restitution of $733,941.48.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which aims to dismantle criminal organizations involved in various illegal activities. The HSTF is a collaborative effort among federal law enforcement agencies to combat transnational criminal organizations.

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

Video Spotlight