Press Release
Worcester Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison Following a Money Laundering Conspiracy Conviction
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire
CONCORD – A man and woman from Worcester, Massachusetts were sentenced to federal prison in connection with their roles in a money laundering conspiracy, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Nafis Quaye, 47, and Sunna Sepetu, 38, both of Worcester, Massachusetts were convicted of conspiracy to money launder in March 2024 by a federal jury in Concord following an eight-day trial. Quaye was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot. Quaye was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,287,220. Sepetu was sentenced last month by Judge Elliot to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $921,020 in restitution.
“These sentences reflect the serious emotional and financial harm these defendants caused the victim,” said United States Attorney Jane E. Young. “The defendants knowingly accepted millions of dollars in wire fraud proceeds from a victim in the United States and sent those proceeds overseas to the fraud perpetrator. Prosecuting people in the United States who facilitate the execution of international frauds committed on the internet is essential to disrupting the networks that pray on vulnerable members of our society.”
“Quaye and Sepetu conspired to move money stolen from a victim of fraud who believed they were sending funds to a romantic partner. Unfortunately, that romantic partner was later revealed to be a fictional character created by scammers overseas. The victim sent money to accounts controlled by Quaye and Sepetu, sending them over $3 million dollars before the conspiracy was stopped,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We are dedicated to holding thieves like these defendants and their collaborators to account and are sending a clear message that facilitating the laundering of ill-gotten gains will result in federal prison time.”
The evidence at trial showed that between 2013 and 2019, the defendants received approximately $3.2 million in proceeds from a romance scam victim located in Texas. These proceeds were sent to bank accounts established by the defendants for various shell companies. The defendants then sent those fraud proceeds to the perpetrator of the fraud operating in Africa, while keeping a portion of the proceeds for themselves.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
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Updated September 25, 2024
Topic
Elder Justice
Component