TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker sentenced Whitney Adams from Hagerstown, Md. to 48 months in prison and ordered him to pay over $1 million in restitution to 17 victims Tuesday.
The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on May 16, 2023.
Court documents reveal he was involved in a money laundering scheme between January 2021 and April 2022, helping scammers in an online fraud scheme.
Victims were led to believe they were sending money to support an online romantic partner who falsely said they needed to pay taxes and fees to "release an inheritance or gold bars."
Adams and her co-conspirator got the fraudulent monies, kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds, via trade-based money laundering, or other means, to Ghana.
Fake businesses were created and they opened business bank accounts to hide the transfers.
One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending over $1 million to Adams' and her co-conspirator’s accounts and the remaining money to multiple others.
The FBI traced $4,437,604 through Adams' accounts from 106 victims. Adams' co-conspirator pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and has a sentencing scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.
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Bivian Contreras is a real-time editor for KGUN 9. Bivian graduated from the University of Arizona School of Journalism with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast and is currently pursuing a degree in Broadcast Operational Meteorology. Share your story ideas and important issues with Bivian by emailing bivian.contreras@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
