Maryland Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering Conspiracy

A Maryland woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her involvement in a significant money laundering conspiracy, according to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Fatoumata Boiro, 32, of Largo, received a two-year prison sentence and will be subject to two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay over $6.8 million in restitution for her role in laundering proceeds derived from wire fraud. Boiro admitted to directly participating in at least $3 million in laundered funds.

The scheme, which ran from 2021 until February 2024, involved Boiro and multiple other individuals who worked to conceal the origins and nature of funds obtained through large-scale wire fraud. The victims of this fraud included various 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 laundering, Boiro and her co-conspirators established limited liability companies that acted as shell entities. Through these shell companies, bank accounts were opened to receive and process the illicit proceeds.

This case is part of broader efforts by federal authorities to combat financial crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has previously charged 14 defendants in connection with this money laundering conspiracy, with 13 having already pleaded guilty. One individual, Faizou Gnora, 28, formerly of Alexandria, Virginia, is still considered a fugitive. The prosecution highlights the extensive nature of the conspiracy, which involved numerous individuals and substantial financial transactions aimed at obscuring illegal gains. The sentencing of Boiro underscores the serious consequences for those involved in such schemes.

Other individuals previously sentenced in connection with this conspiracy include Yahya Sowe, who received 114 months in prison and was ordered to pay over $13 million in restitution; Bright Boateng, sentenced to 108 months and ordered to pay over $1.2 million in restitution; Victor Killen, sentenced to 63 months and ordered to pay over $7 million in restitution; and Gedeon Agbeyome, sentenced to 72 months and ordered to pay over $2.9 million in restitution. Additional sentences were handed down to Lawrence Ogunsanwo, Lakeisha Parker, Martin Ogisi, Kevin Colon, Areal Harris, Emily Gil Arias, Lorena Perez Herrera, and Blondel Ndjouamaka, all of whom received prison terms and were ordered to pay varying amounts in restitution and forfeiture.

The investigation and prosecution were led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, with significant contributions from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). This effort is also aligned with broader federal initiatives aimed at combating fraud and protecting the public from criminal enterprises. Law enforcement agencies involved in the broader Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) have been instrumental in these investigations, demonstrating a coordinated approach to tackling complex criminal networks.

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

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