COLUMBUS, Ohio – The gritty Southern District of Ohio has seen yet another defendant in a sordid online romance money laundering scam enter a guilty plea. Eric Y. Banahene, 36, from Columbus, today faced U.S. District Court with charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering, both carryable by up to 20 years in prison. Additionally, he faces transactional money laundering charges, which could see him locked up for up to 10 years.
Banahene confessed to conspiring with others to siphon funds from online romance scams, agreeing to pay approximately $629,000 in restitution. His plea comes as six of eight Central Ohio defendants originally charged on Valentine’s Day last year have also admitted their guilt, leaving only two fugitives at large.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, William Cheung of IRS Criminal Investigation, Tommy D. Coke of U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Angie Salazar of Homeland Security Investigations announced Banahene’s plea before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
The original charges included Kwabena M. Bonsu, Kwasi A. Oppong, Kwame Ansah, John Y. Amoah, Samuel Antwi, King Faisal Hamidu, Nkosiyoxoxo Msuthu and Cynthia Appiagyei. Ansah and Antwi remain at large.
Court documents expose how individuals set up fake profiles on dating sites to deceive men and women in the U.S., Canada, and beyond. After forging relationships, they’d ask for money under false pretenses, with funds often funneled through accounts controlled by defendants like Banahene. These proceeds were then used to purchase salvaged vehicles, commonly exported to Ghana, as a means of concealing their criminal activities.
Banahene admitted to conspiring with Bonsu and others to launder over $629,031. The defendants collectively have been tied to over $3.3 million in romance scam proceeds. William Cheung emphasized the commitment of federal law enforcement to end such predatory behavior. IRS criminal investigators will continue their financial sleuth work to dismantle these fraudulent schemes.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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