Several Montgomery County residents are among those who have now pled guilty in a large, multi-member federal money laundering conspiracy that involved millions of dollars in fraud proceeds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Prosecutors announced that Yahya “Cash” Sowe, 42, of Silver Spring, and Victor Killen, 32, of Hyattsville, pled guilty to conspiring to engage in a wide-ranging money laundering operation tied to large-scale wire fraud. As part of his plea, Sowe admitted he served as a manager or supervisor of the conspiracy, personally obtained at least $1 million, and helped facilitate more than $11 million in money laundering involving over a dozen victim entities. Killen admitted that at least $3 million in money laundering occurred through his direct participation.
Federal officials say the conspiracy began in 2021 and continued into February 2024. Sowe and his co-conspirators used encrypted communications to coordinate the laundering of fraud proceeds and created shell companies to open bank accounts used to receive and move stolen funds. Prosecutors said the group frequently layered transactions by moving money rapidly through multiple accounts, making recovery more difficult for victims and law enforcement…