https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/maryland-man-sentenced-multi-million-dollar-money-laundering-scheme

A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy that moved millions of dollars in proceeds from fraud schemes targeting businesses, government agencies and other organizations.

U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Yahya Sowe, 42, of College Park, Maryland, to 114 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

The court also ordered Sowe to pay more than $13 million in restitution and forfeit $1 million.

Sowe pleaded guilty in December 2025 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Court records show he admitted to overseeing or managing more than $11 million in illicit financial transactions connected to the scheme.

According to prosecutors, Sowe participated in the conspiracy from 2021 until his arrest in February 2024.

Investigators said he worked with multiple co-conspirators to launder proceeds from various fraud schemes, including business email compromise scams that trick victims into sending money to fraudulent accounts.

Victims included government entities, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and private businesses.

Among those affected were an environmental trust, an urban redevelopment program, a medical center, a transportation and logistics company, a school district, a college and a county government.

Federal authorities said Sowe and his associates used encrypted communications platforms to coordinate their activities and direct members of the organization.

The group created shell companies, opened bank accounts in the names of those entities and used them to receive and transfer fraud proceeds.

Prosecutors said the conspirators frequently moved money through multiple accounts in rapid succession, a process known as layering, making it more difficult for victims and law enforcement to trace and recover stolen funds.

The case is part of a broader federal prosecution involving 14 defendants accused of participating in the laundering operation.

Authorities said 13 defendants have pleaded guilty. One defendant, Faizou Gnora, 28, formerly of Alexandria, Virginia, remains a fugitive.

Several co-defendants have already been sentenced, including Bright Boateng of Bladensburg, Maryland, who received 108 months in prison, and Victor Killen of Hyattsville, Maryland, who was sentenced to 63 months.

Other defendants received prison terms ranging from 24 to 72 months, along with restitution orders totaling millions of dollars.

Eight of those charged were Maryland residents, including two from Baltimore.

Federal prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing.