SUNNA
SEPETU, 37, a Tanzanian national residing in Worcester, Massachusetts, has been
found guilty of conspiracy to launder money derived from wire fraud.
Her co-defendant, Nafise
Quaye, 47, a Nigerian, also from Worcester, was also convicted of the same
charge following an eight-day trial in federal court. The two face up to 20
years in jail.
Sunna is the sister of
2006 Miss Tanzania.
The verdict was announced
by US Attorney Jane Young, who emphasized the Department of Justice's
commitment to prosecuting those who facilitate internet scams targeting
vulnerable individuals.
"This verdict
underscores the seriousness with which the US Department of Justice views
internet scams that target vulnerable individuals," said US Attorney Jane
Young.
"The
defendants knowingly received millions of dollars derived from a wire fraud
scheme against a vulnerable American citizen and then transferred those funds
overseas to the perpetrator. Prosecuting those in the United States who enable
international online fraud is crucial to disrupting these networks that prey on
unsuspecting victims."
Between 2013 and 2019,
Sepetu and Quaye allegedly received approximately $3.2 million from a fraud
victim in Texas. The money was transferred to bank accounts established by the
defendants under the names of various shell companies.
The defendants then
forwarded the stolen funds to the perpetrator of the fraud who is yet to be
named in Africa, while keeping a portion for themselves.
The investigation was led
by Homeland Security Investigations within the US Department of Homeland
Security. Assistant US Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case.