Florida Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Business Email Scam

ABINGDON, Va. - A Florida woman pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to execute a business email compromise scheme that stole more than $3 million from victims throughout the United States.

Zamar McPherson, 49, of Boynton Beach, Florida, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. She has agreed to pay restitution for the entire scope of her criminal conduct. In addition, she has agreed to forfeit $154,474.85.

Two of McPherson's coconspirators-Garland Shelton, 57, of Wytheville, Virginia, and Olivia Oxley, 35, of Brooklyn, New York-each pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. McPherson, Shelton, and Oxley each face up to 30 years in prison for their roles in this conspiracy.

According to court documents, McPherson conspired with Shelton, Oxley, and others 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 compromised the email accounts of these payees, 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 Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. 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.