A Houston man and woman have been caught in a large-scale interstate email scam scheme, officials announced.
Houston resident Bolaji Okunnu, 31, has pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from the Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme.
Between 2021 and 2022, Okunnu’s operation moved money through bank accounts that he and others controlled, which originated from fraudsters involved in a BEC wire fraud scheme affecting at least four victims.
Okunnu admitted to receiving the funds and then, for a fee, transmitting the fraud proceeds to others.
The scheme also included the theft of stolen checks from various companies.
Amber Bush, 30, also pleaded guilty to her role in the scam, creating bank accounts to funnel money from stolen checks to Destini Godfrey, who is charged in the BEC wire fraud scheme.
Bush admitted to using the name and personal identifying information of a real person without their knowledge or consent to open a bank account at JP Morgan Chase bank.
After receiving deposits into that account which originated from a stolen check, Bush acknowledged she then issued four checks totaling $165,000 to Godfrey.
Okunnu faces up to five years in federal prison, while Bush faces a mandatory prison term of two years.
Bush and Okunnu were permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing hearings, where they could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
Destini Godfrey, 31, is still 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.
Related Federal Cases
- Tracy Mitchell, Identity Theft, Montgomery AL, 2013 · Texas
- David William Welbig, Aggravated Identity Theft, Albuquerque NM, 2014 · Washington
- Angel Lara-Merida, Identity Theft, Kenner LA, 2023 · Washington
- Jose Otero, Identity Theft Ring Leader, TX, 2023 · Texas
- Karen McGinnis, Tax Theft, Mountain Top PA, 2023-2025 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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