ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (USAO) announced on Thursday that Drasana Johnson of Albany pleaded guilty in a 2023 money laundering case. Johnson, 28, was indicted last January.
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As part of her plea, Johnson admitted to working alongside Asjid Parvez to execute multiple financial transactions that resulted in the theft of over $850,000 in government funds back in May 2023. She also confessed that she personally received around $200,000 for her involvement in the scheme, which she used to purchase a house.
Parvez pleaded guilty in January 2024 and was sentenced that May to a year and a half of prison time. The court proceedings stem from operations of the federal Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, according to the USAO.
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“Hardworking American taxpayers fund countless programs across the nation to aid our fellow Americans, and in this case, to aid hardworking farmers feeding our country,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III said. “This defendant’s shameless actions defrauded those systems and now she will face up to 10 years in prison.”
“Ms. Johnson boldly stole almost $1 million from government funds designed to help our farmers,” Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the FBI Craig Tremaroli stated. “Americans expect government funds to be used as intended, and this investigation proves the FBI will work with our partners at every level of law enforcement to ensure they are.”
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“The defendant in this case defrauded a government assistance program made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region. “The program was designed to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain Farm Service Agency direct and/or guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations were at financial risk. This investigation should send a message of deterrence that USDA-OIG and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding those accountable who defraud government programs.”…