Maryland Woman Sentenced For Laundering Funds Stolen From Fraud Schemes

Greenbelt, Maryland - A Maryland woman received a federal-prison sentence today, in connection with a money laundering scheme.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tanoa Tanoh, 35, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to 30 months in prison and ordered her to repay $1,037,762 to victims of the fraud scheme.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI - Baltimore Field Office.

In December 2025, Tanoh pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Tanoh acknowledged that she conspired with others to conceal the source of fraudulently obtained funds stolen from victims in Maryland and other states. She funneled the stolen funds through numerous bank accounts she created using false aliases. Additionally, Tanoh opened these bank accounts in the names of non-existent businesses registered with the State of Maryland. In total, between January 2019, and May 2021, Tanoh laundered or attempted to launder at least $3.8 million, from at least 27 victims, through her various shell companies.

Tanoh opened these shell companies with the State of Maryland by using false identification documents bearing her photograph. She opened "Hoch Investments LLC," using the alias, Linda Hochman, and "Easy Supplies LLC," using the alias, Anita Rawlings. The sole purpose of these companies was to open bank accounts in the companies' names. After creating the bank accounts, co-conspirators used them to receive funds from victims of romance scams, elder-fraud scams, business-email compromises, and other fraud schemes.

Once Tanoh's co-conspirators tricked victims into sending funds to her fake accounts, she transferred the fraudulently obtained funds between her own accounts or to others. These types of transfers make it more difficult for victims and law enforcement to trace and recover the fraud proceeds, which are often ultimately transferred to fraudsters directly scamming victims who are commonly located overseas. Individuals like Tanoh, who engage in laundering fraudulent funds, typically receive a percentage as a commission.

Co-conspirators Olumide Obidare, 32, and Steven Oseghale, 32, both Nigerian nationals, previously received sentences in the District of Minnesota. Obidare and Oseghale are currently serving 108-month and 56-month prison terms, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Each received two additional years for aggravated identity theft. A third co-conspirator, Emmanuel Okereke, 42, also a Nigerian national, is awaiting trial in the Northern District of Ohio.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Baltimore and FBI Minneapolis Field Offices for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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