Jamel Ski Yates, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Charlotte NC, 2023

Jamel Ski Yates, a/k/a “Goo,” 43, of Charlotte, is headed to federal prison for 36 months after being convicted in a brazen $1.3 million wire fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. handed down the sentence yesterday, ordering Yates to serve three years behind bars followed by two years of supervised release. He’s also on the hook for $251,146 in restitution for a scheme that exploited insider access to rip off customer accounts at a Charlotte-based financial services firm.

Yates wasn’t acting alone. His co-defendant, Anthony Shawn Wilkerson, 46, of East Point, Georgia, was sentenced today to a year and a day in federal prison, with two years of supervised release and the same $251,146 restitution order. Wilkerson pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges, caving under the weight of evidence gathered by federal investigators. Both men will report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons once a facility is designated—no parole, no shortcuts.

The plot ran from January 2010 to January 2011, during which Yates, an insider at the financial company, stole personally identifiable information (PII) from approximately 90 customer accounts. He passed that data to Dural Samuels, who used a network of accomplices to siphon funds through unauthorized wire transfers—some as high as $48,000. The stolen cash flowed into so-called “money mule accounts” before being pulled out in stacks of untraceable bills.

Five others have already been sentenced for their roles. Shaka Stayman got 84 months. Dural Samuels, who orchestrated the withdrawals, got 28 months and must pay $252,730 in restitution. Barry Shade, 46, was sentenced to 12 months and owes $251,147. Abiola O. Oginni also received a year and a day. Dwayne A. Reynolds escaped prison time but got three years of probation and must repay $20,037.

Court documents confirm the gang attempted to steal over $1.3 million, successfully looting more than $300,000 before the FBI shut them down. The transfers ranged from $6,000 to $48,000, executed across multiple compromised accounts. The stolen funds were laundered through layers of bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators and third parties, a textbook money mule operation.

The FBI’s Charlotte Division, led by Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong, spearheaded the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas O’Malley prosecuted the case, bringing all players to justice. U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose emphasized that exploiting insider access for financial theft will be met with relentless federal prosecution. Every dollar stolen was someone’s retirement, someone’s savings—now gone, thanks to greed and betrayal from within.