Chisom Okonkwo, age 28, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has admitted to wire fraud, causing a Gilmer County business to send three fraudulent wires totaling over $1 million as part of a business email compromise scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Okonkwo and another defendant created an email address that spoofed that of an employee at a Gilmer County business, causing a vendor to send more than $1 million to a bank account controlled by the defendants. Okonkwo and the co-defendant expended more than $600,000 of the stolen funds before the scheme was discovered.
The second defendant, Prince Boateng Adjei, 31, also of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is scheduled for trial in April 2025.
Okonkwo agrees to pay $610,146.03 in restitution as a part of the plea agreement. She faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided. The United States Secret Service investigated the case.
