Pair Sentenced for Roles in Business Email Fraud Scheme

ABINGDON, Va. - Two individuals who conspired with others to execute a business email compromise scheme that stole more than $1.5 million from victims throughout the United States were recently sentenced in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.

Shelton, 57, of Wytheville, Virginia, and Olivia Oxley, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, both pleaded guilty in July last year to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. For her role in the conspiracy, Oxley was sentenced to one year and one day of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Shelton was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and five years of supervised release. Both were also ordered to pay restitution to four victims totaling over $1.5 million jointly and severally with their coconspirators. Neither Shelton nor Oxley were leaders of the scheme but instead facilitated the transfer of the fraudulent funds. Shelton and Oxley forwarded almost all of the fraudulently obtained proceeds to coconspirators overseas.

Zamar Tara McPherson, 49, of Boynton Beach, Florida, has also pleaded guilty to being part of the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

"The Western District of Virginia will continue to prioritize scammer and fraudsters who prey on our citizens," First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. "Special thanks to the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Virginia State Police, and all the state and local agencies who assisted in this investigation."

According to court documents, McPherson, Shelton, Oxley, and others conspired to engage in a business email compromise scheme. The victims in this case had planned to send legitimate wire payments to certain payees. A member of the conspiracy created and utilized fictitious email accounts, however, and provided new account information for the wire payments to the victims. The victims were then defrauded into sending large sums of money to bank accounts belonging to McPherson, Shelton, and Oxley. McPherson, Shelton, and Oxley created and utilized personal and illegitimate business accounts at various financial institutions to facilitate these fraudulent wire transfer payments.

First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Richmond Division and Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. Acting Special Agent in Charge Kai Wah Chan made the announcement.

Several law enforcement agencies throughout the United States investigated the case, including Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., St. Paul; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Eden Prairie, Minnesota Police Department; Virginia State Police; Middlesex County, New Jersey Prosecutor's Office; and Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Hall is prosecuting the case.