Nine individuals have been charged in a $20M multistate money laundering conspiracy that spanned the nation.
The accused have been named as part of court action after an indictment was unsealed in Nashville, Tennessee this week. They are Samson A. Omoniyi, Houston; Misha L. Cooper, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Robert A. Cooper, of Murfreesboro; Carlesha L. Perry, of Houston; Whitney D. Bardley, of Florissant, Missouri; Lauren O. Guidry, of Houston; Caira Y. Osby, of Houston; Dazai S. Harris, of Murfreesboro; and Edward D. Peebles, of Murfreesboro.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Nashville Field Office and Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, are investigating the case. The FBI’s Forensic Accountant Support Team has been highlighted as a key part of the indictment for the nine individuals.
Nationwide money launderers charged
Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee is prosecuting the case alongside Trial Attorneys Kenneth Kaplan and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
In 2016, the court alleged that all nine individuals were complicit in a scheme to launder money in America. They operated out of multiple bases of operations in Tennessee, and Texas and moved money through individuals in a dehumanizing manner.
The cabal referred to these individuals as “money mules,” and they gave themselves the moniker “herders” to direct the movements of money that was set to be, or had been laundered.
The court report further states that the ill-gotten gains were obtained from “internet frauds that targeted businesses and individuals in the United States and abroad.” This was carried out via fake companies to conceal the movements of money and appear as if the process was legitimate.
The conspiracy to move and wash the money allegedly reached $20M before the FBI and associated bodies stepped in to bust the fraud ring. If convicted, the nine members face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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