Lakeisha Parker, a 33-year-old resident of Baltimore, Maryland, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution for her role in a large money laundering conspiracy. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox, who also imposed three years of supervised release, including six months of home detention.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Kelly O. Hayes, Parker participated in a multi-member scheme that laundered proceeds from wire fraud between 2019 and November 2023. She pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025, to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Parker admitted as part of her plea agreement that she conspired with others—including Adanegbe Gift Osenmwenkhae, Yahya Sowe (also known as “Cash”), Gedeon Agbeyome, Victor Killen, Areal Harris, Bright Boateng, Faizou Gnora, Emily Gil Arias, Fatoumata Boiro, Lawrence Ogunsanwo, Martin Ogisi, Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, Kevin Colon, Lorena Perez Herrera—using various financial transactions designed to conceal the origins and control of funds obtained through fraudulent activity.
The fraud involved the misuse of funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This act was enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic through programs such as EIDL advances and Paycheck Protection Program loans. The EIDL advance offered up to $10,000 that did not have to be repaid.
Parker laundered over $1 million herself and used a shell limited liability company with at least five bank accounts to facilitate these activities. She also utilized encrypted electronic communication accounts for coordination with co-conspirators.
Victims impacted by this scheme included government agencies and organizations such as an environmental trust fund, urban redevelopment programs, medical centers, transportation companies, school districts, colleges and county governments.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). These efforts were coordinated under the District of Maryland Strike Force—one of five national strike forces created by the Department of Justice specifically to investigate COVID-19 relief fraud schemes targeting CARES Act funding.
“The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors,” according to information provided by authorities. “The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.”
Kelly O. Hayes expressed appreciation for all agencies involved: “U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HSI-led Document and Benefit Fraud/Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force; IRS-CI; EPA-OIG for their assistance... Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber; Bijon A. Mostoufi; Jared M. Beim...and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.”
Further details about reporting suspected COVID-19 related fraud can be found at justice.gov/coronavirus or reported via hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
