US convicts 25 in $215m global email fraud spanning 19 countries

A $215 million global fraud network that infiltrated corporate email systems and targeted more than 1,000 victims has led to the conviction of 25 individuals in the United States, in one of the most extensive business email compromise schemes uncovered in recent years.

The latest convictions came on April 24, 2026, when a jury in Toledo, Ohio, found three defendants, Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, Aruan Drake and Peter Reed, guilty of wire fraud conspiracy following a four-day trial presided over by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp II. Awoyemi and Drake were also convicted of money laundering conspiracy.

Defendants who pleaded guilty

In addition to those convicted at trial, 22 other defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. They include:

Ayobami Osas Christopher; Emmanuel Okereke; Olalekan Bashiru; Mark Dabney; Casey Adesulu Jr.; Jeremiah Agina; Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo; Emily Agyemang; Ademola Balogun; Olabode Bankole; India Barnes; Emmanuel Essilfie; Chukwuemeka Evulukwu; Jeremiah Glinsey; Lon Goodman; Shaquille Jackson; Mikhail Keize; Katiera Lackey; Kingsley Owusu; Anton Parker; Carlton Pruitt; and Ronnell Spencer.

The convictions bring the total number of defendants found guilty in the case to 25, either through trial or guilty pleas, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The convictions, secured by the U.S. Department of Justice, followed a trial in Ohio that exposed a sophisticated “business email compromise” operation spanning 47 US states and at least 19 countries.

Prosecutors said the syndicate, described as Nigerian-linked, hacked into email accounts of individuals and organisations, monitored communications, and sent highly convincing payment requests that appeared legitimate.

Victims, ranging from businesses to private individuals, were tricked into transferring funds, sometimes running into millions of dollars, into accounts controlled by the fraud network. In one case, a company transferred $2.7 million to a shell account operated by the group.

Authorities said the proceeds were laundered through a complex system involving fraudulent bank accounts, shell companies, cashier’s cheques and cash transfer channels. About $50 million of the stolen funds was converted into cashier’s cheques and processed through a Chicago-based financial services business linked to the scheme.

The case portrays the scale and sophistication of global cyber-enabled fraud, with victims identified not only across the United States but also in countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

Investigators also recovered assets tied to the operation, including cash, cryptocurrency and financial instruments worth nearly $1.2 million.