HOUSTON, TX – Bolaji Okunnu, a 32-year-old New York-licensed attorney, and Amber Bush, 30, have been ordered to federal prison for their respective roles in an identity theft and business email compromise (BEC) scam.
The scheme, which operated from 2021 to 2022, involved Okunnu operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from the BEC scheme. As part of his scheme, Okunnu recruited two others into the enterprise, collected proceeds, and acted as an intermediary for higher-level conspirators.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks sentenced Okunnu to 39 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Okunnu was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $255,399.47 to victims nationwide.
Bush was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release. Bush was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $1,189,247.02 to victims nationwide.
As part of his plea, Okunnu admitted moving money through bank accounts he and others controlled. The funds originated from fraudsters involved in a BEC wire fraud scheme involving at least four victims.
Bush created bank accounts to funnel money from stolen checks to Destini Godfrey, who is also charged in the BEC wire fraud scheme. Godfrey, 31, Houston, is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.
The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey and other law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Timothy Livingston, Email Account Hijacking, Florida 2017 · New York
- Raymond Bradley Pearce, Software Piracy, Oklahoma 2024 · Oklahoma
- Dread Pirate Roberts, Money Laundering, California 2013 · New York
- Michael Scott Hillwig, Identity Theft, Bank Fraud, Florida 2024 · New York
- Darryon M. Sutherlin, Identity Theft, Missouri 2022 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
CybercrimeCybercrimeCybercrimeCybercrime