Four individuals have been sentenced for their involvement in a business email compromise scheme that stole more than $38 million from victims in the United States and abroad, according to an April 30 announcement by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
The case highlights how organized cybercrime can inflict significant financial harm on businesses and individuals through sophisticated online deception. The defendants were part of a transnational criminal group that targeted legitimate financial transactions by infiltrating email communications and redirecting payments to accounts they controlled.
Kelvin Owusu Nkwantabisa, also known as “Kevin Brown” and “KO,” was identified as the leader of the U.S.-based operation. He received a sentence of 17 years in prison after coordinating with overseas partners, directing bank account creation across several states, tracking fraudulent payments, and instructing others on laundering stolen funds. Leshea Moore, also known as “Deborah Green,” managed shell companies and opened bank accounts using false identities; she was sentenced to over 11 years in prison. Justice Amoh (“Samuel Andrews”) received three years for opening fraudulent accounts and laundering proceeds at Nkwantabisa’s direction. John Jouissance established shell companies and conducted financial transactions with victim funds; he was sentenced to four years.
"This was organized international fraud carried out through deception, stolen trust, and financial manipulation," said Jason A. Reding Quiñones, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "These defendants infiltrated legitimate business communications, diverted millions of dollars, and laundered the proceeds through shell companies and fraudulent bank accounts to conceal their crimes. Business email compromise schemes can devastate companies and individuals in a matter of hours. Today’s sentences send a clear message: if you use our financial system to steal and launder money, we will find you, follow the money, and hold you accountable."
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations Fort Lauderdale with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Quin Landon.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida oversees an area spanning about 15,197 square miles across nine counties serving more than seven million residents according to its official website. The office operates under the Department of Justice with branch offices located in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, and Key West according to its official website. It is staffed by approximately 223 assistant attorneys along with special assistants and support staff according to its official website. The office prosecutes federal criminal cases—including those involving cybercrime—and manages civil litigation while collecting specific federal debts according to its official website.
Related court documents are available on both http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov andhttp://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60061.
