Two Maryland men pled guilty to their role in a multi-million-dollar money laundering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
On December 18, officials stated that Yahya “Cash” Sowe, 42, of Silver Spring, and Victor Killen, 32, of Hyattsville, had pleaded guilty to collaborating in a major, multi-member money laundering scheme.
As part of his guilty plea, Sowe stated that he served as a manager in the conspiracy, earning $1 million himself and assisting in the facilitation of over $11 million in money laundering involving more than 12 victims.
In his guilty plea, Killen confessed that his direct involvement in the scheme resulted in at least $3 million in money laundering.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland charged 14 additional individuals in connection with the money laundering conspiracy, thirteen of whom have already pleaded guilty.
Faizou Gnora, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, is still at large, according to authorities.
From 2021 to February 2024, Sowe collaborated with several others to launder the proceeds of a large-scale wire fraud.
Officials reported that the victims included government institutions, organizations, and businesses such as 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 co-conspirators used a variety of financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, ownership, and control of the proceeds from their illegal activities.
Sowe, Killen, and their co-conspirators oversaw and managed the money laundering activities through various encrypted electronic communication accounts.
Officials stated that the organization regularly executed many financial transactions in fast succession, layering fraud proceeds across various transactions, making it more difficult for victims and law enforcement to retrieve stolen funds.
Sowe also acknowledged participating in a credit card fraud scheme involving illegal charges made through a merchant services account. He further said that in 2023, he tried to perpetrate fraud by issuing bogus employee rebate credits.
Furthermore, Sowe and his co-conspirators committed pandemic-related fraud by filing false and fraudulent Employee Retention Credit (ERC) tax returns in order to obtain over $1 million in ERCs.
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; Kevin Colon, 34, of Curtis Bay, Maryland; and Lorena Perez Herrera, 29
The District Court has previously sentenced:
- Lawrence Ogunsanwo to 40 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $5,648,816.23
- Lakeisha Parker to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release and restitution of $8,306,930.95
- Martin Ogisi to 33 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $11,077,044.17
- Blondel Ndjouandjouaka to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $733,941.48
- Kevin Colon to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and restitution of $2,515,159.63
Sowe and Killen are facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Their sentencing is set for Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 2 p.m., and Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 10 a.m.
Leave a Comment