Isidore Iwuagwu, Money Laundering, Maryland 2021

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal complaint has been filed charging Isidore Iwuagwu, age 35, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, with the federal charge of conspiring to commit money laundering related to numerous online romance scams.

Iwuagwu will have his initial appearance today beginning at 2 p.m., in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.

The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of the U.S. Office of the Inspector General Fraud Detection Office; and Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tira Hayward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.

“If you find yourself in an online relationship and you’re asked for a bunch of money, it’s probably fraud not love,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “We’re prosecuting elder fraud, including romance scams, to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Iwuagwu is a Special Deputy United States Marshal and contractor providing security for critical facilities. Between October 2015 and July 2021, Iwuagwu participated in a romance scam in which individuals contacted victims on social media platforms and dating sites, engaged in online relationships with the victims, then convinced victims to send large sums of money claiming the funds were needed for purported personal hardships or shipping costs for various imports. Many victims reported sending funds at the request of individuals claiming to be deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who asked for money for various personal hardships. The alleged scam involved more than 20 victims, many of whom are senior citizens. The victims linked to Iwuagwu reported losing a combined $1.9 million to the scheme.

For example, the affidavit details an account of a victim who was approached on a social media platform by an individual who claimed to be a Major General in the U.S. Army. Eventually, the self-proclaimed Major General asked Victim F to help him with financial expenses as he transitioned out of the military. Victim F believed the individual was returning to the United States to be with her. At the Major General’s request, Victim F sent more than $300,000 to Iwuagwu who Victim F was told was the Major General’s attorney.

As stated in the criminal complaint, law enforcement reviewed 30 accounts controlled by Iwuagwu between 2013 and 2021. During this time, Iwuagwu allegedly received approximately $1.65 million in wire transfers from 119 individuals and approximately $1.138 million in other deposits, including money orders, personal checks, cashier’s checks, and cash. Allegedly, Iwuagwu routinely withdrew the criminal proceeds through structured cash withdrawals or wire transfers to foreign banks.

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