Maryland woman sentenced for role in multimillion-dollar money laundering conspiracy HSTF case

Date: July 10, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

Baltimore, MD - A Maryland woman received a federal-prison term in connection with her role in a multimillion-dollar money laundering scheme.

Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Fatoumata Boiro of Largo to two years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiring to engage in a large, multi-member, money laundering conspiracy. Additionally, Judge Maddox ordered Boiro to pay $6,838,558.31 in restitution. Boiro, who pled guilty to participating in the money laundering conspiracy, admitted that at least $3 million in money laundering occurred pursuant to her direct participation in the conspiracy.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) - Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Maryland; and Acting Special Agent in Charge George Golliday, Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud along with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).

According to court documents, beginning in 2021, and continuing until February 2024, Boiro conspired with multiple individuals to launder proceeds of a large-scale wire fraud. The co-conspirators engaged in various financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the wire-fraud proceeds, while carrying out the conspiracy.

The victims included government agencies, organizations, and companies, including an environmental trust, urban redevelopment program, medical center, transportation and logistics company, school district, college, and county government, among others.

Boiro and her co-conspirators worked with each other to create limited liability companies to serve as shell entities; open bank accounts and/or cause bank accounts to be opened in the name of shell entities; and receive and launder fraud proceeds.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland previously charged 14 defendants in two different cases in connection with the money laundering conspiracy - 13 already pled guilty. Faizou Gnora, previously of Alexandria, Virginia, remains a fugitive from justice. The Office also charged other co-conspirators in additional cases.

The District Court previously sentenced:

• Yahya Sowe of College Park to 114 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $13,050,827.03, and forfeiture of $1 million;
• Bright Boateng of Bladensburg, Maryland, to 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $1,247,950, and a forfeiture of $431,750;
• Victor Killen of Hyattsville, Maryland, to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $7,070,656.46, and a $3-million forfeiture order;
• Gedeon Agbeyome of Montgomery County, Maryland, to 72 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, along with restitution of $2,938,424.65, and a $2.8 million preliminary order of forfeiture;
• Lawrence Ogunsanwo to 40 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of $5,648,816.23;
• Lakeisha Parker of Baltimore to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release, and restitution of $8,306,930.95;
• Martin Ogisi of Severn, Maryland, to 33 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, restitution of $11,077,044.17; and a $500,000 forfeiture order;
• Kevin Colon of Curtis Bay, Maryland, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, restitution of $2,515,159.63, and a $214,518.42 forfeiture order;
• Areal Harris of Hanover, Maryland, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of $3,159,482.83;
• Emily Gil Arias of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of 2,102,919.27;
• Lorena Perez Herrera of Washington, DC, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of $1,473,125.58; and
• Blondel Ndjouandjouaka of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, restitution of $733,941.48, and a $757,562.63 forfeiture order.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

This prosecution is also part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HSI-led Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, and thanked IRS-CI and EPA-OIG for their work in the investigation, and praised the Anne Arundel County, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County Police Departments for their assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Bijon A. Mostoufi, who prosecuted the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber, for her assistance.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.