Steven Mensah Yawson, Money Laundering, Pennsylvania 2022

A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months incarceration and restitution in the amount of $55,029.10 on his conviction of money laundering, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Gustave Diamond imposed the sentence on Steven Mensah Yawson, 37, and ordered that Yawson, a Ghanaian National, be immediately deported from the United States following completion of his sentence as a result of his conviction.

According to the information presented to the court, in 2012, Yawson conspired with others to steal identities which were later used to open credit cards and to purchase merchandise and gift cards in Western Pennsylvania. Yawson wired proceeds from the fraud to an individual in Accra, Ghana.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF) for conducting the investigation. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.

The case is a reminder that identity theft and money laundering are serious crimes with severe consequences. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice.

Background information on the Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force can be found on its website at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-availability-2012-national-task-force-annual-report.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/ghanaian-national-sentenced-2-years-prison-money-laundering