A federal court in Florida has sentenced a Ghanaian-American man to 17 years in prison for orchestrating a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud scheme that stole approximately US$38 million from businesses and individuals across the United States and other countries.
According to prosecutors, 33-year-old Kelvin Owusu Nkwantabisa, who operated under the aliases Kevin Brown and KO, led the United States arm of a transnational cybercrime network responsible for carrying out large-scale email fraud and money laundering operations.
Court documents revealed that members of the criminal network gained unauthorized access to victims’ email accounts and secretly monitored communications related to business transactions and pending payments. The fraudsters then impersonated trusted business partners and redirected funds into bank accounts under their control.
Investigators said the group employed a network of shell companies and multiple bank accounts to conceal the origins of the stolen money and avoid detection by law enforcement authorities.
Prosecutors told the court that Nkwantabisa played a central leadership role by coordinating overseas accomplices, directing the creation of fraudulent bank accounts across several states, monitoring incoming transfers, and instructing co-conspirators on how to launder illicit proceeds.
His significant involvement in the operation resulted in the longest prison sentence among those convicted in the case.
Three additional members of the network were also sentenced. Leshea Moore, 29, of Georgia, received more than 11 years in prison after admitting to creating shell companies and assisting in the movement of stolen funds. John Jouissance, 33, of Ohio, was sentenced to four years for establishing shell companies and bank accounts used to receive fraudulent proceeds. Justice Amoh, 37, of New York, who used the alias Samuel Andrews, received a three-year sentence for opening accounts under false identities and processing fraudulent transactions.
Commenting on the convictions, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the defendants exploited legitimate business relationships and abused the trust of their victims to steal millions of dollars. He noted that the sentences send a strong message to individuals who seek to use the American financial system to facilitate fraud and money laundering.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Fort Lauderdale, while prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida handled the case.
Business Email Compromise schemes remain among the most costly forms of cybercrime globally, resulting in billions of dollars in losses each year. Authorities say the sentencing forms part of broader efforts to combat transnational cybercrime and financial fraud networks.
