Cincinnati Woman Pleads Guilty To Role In Illegal Money Laundering Scheme
2015-05-12 · Press release
‘Work From Home’ Jobs Actually Fraudulent Scheme
CINCINNATI – Shawnell Evans, 28, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Senior Judge Sandra Beckwith.
Evans admitted to serving as a “money mule” for multiple fraudulent schemes through “work from home” jobs from approximately 2011 through 2013. According to court documents, during that time, Evans received instructions from a variety of different individuals via email regarding transfers of money and goods in exchange for a payment to Evans. Per the instructions, Evans would wait for money to show up on debit cards, transfer most of the money via Western Union or MoneyGram, and keep a percentage of the funds.
The defendant was also instructed to print fake company checks by downloading certain bank logos. On certain occasions, Evans received stolen credit cards as part of her money mule services and used the stolen credit cards. Evans was warned by the FBI that she was participating in facilitating certain fraud rings, but even after the warnings, Evans continued to wire the fraudulent funds and help the schemes.
Evans pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly conducting, controlling, managing, supervising, directing and owning all or part of an unlicensed money transmitting business, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Mangan, who is representing the United States in this case.
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- Southern District of Ohio
- usa_name
- Carter M. Stewart
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- plea
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- Sandra Beckwith
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- U.S. District Senior Judge
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- max_penalty_text
- up to five years in prison
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- crypto_assets
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- {}
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/cincinnati-woman-pleads-guilty-role-illegal-money-laundering-scheme
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2712 | Shawnell Evans | defendant | Cincinnati | 28 | pleaded guilty | |||
| 2713 | Carter M. Stewart | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Ohio | |||
| 2714 | Angela L. Byers | investigator | Special Agent in Charge | FBI | Cincinnati | |||
| 2715 | Sandra Beckwith | judge | U.S. District Senior Judge | U.S. District Court | Cincinnati | |||
| 2716 | Timothy Mangan | prosecutor | Assistant United States Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Ohio |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1742 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Cincinnati Field Division | Angela L. Byers | Conducted the investigation, warned Evans about facilitating fraud rings, and collaborated with the U.S. Attorney's Office |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1416 | knowingly conducting, controlling, managing, supervising, directing and owning all or part of an unlicensed money transmitting business | up to five years in prison | Shawnell Evans | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | |||||||
| 3464 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 3465 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 3466 | unlicensed money transmitting business, a crime punishable by up to five years | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:46:00+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1487 | Shawnell Evans |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 749 | individual | individuals who were defrauded | victims were defrauded through 'work from home' jobs |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2964 | Work From Home’ Jobs Actually Fraudulent Scheme | statement | Title of the press release | Describes the nature of the illegal activities |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Money Laundering | Evans acted as a 'money mule' transferring funds from fraudulent schemes via debit cards, Western Union, and MoneyGram while retaining a percentage. | Central to the case as the primary illegal activity enabling fraud. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | Historical trend (2011-2013) | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, Victims |
| 1969 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Evans operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to facilitate fraudulent fund transfers. | The specific charge she pleaded guilty to, punishable by up to five years in prison. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | Historical trend (2011-2013) | Law enforcement, U.S. Attorney's Office, Financial regulators |
| 1970 | Fraudulent Employment Schemes | Evans participated in 'work from home' job scams to recruit individuals into money laundering activities. | The mechanism used to recruit and execute the money laundering operations. | National | Historical trend (2011-2013) | Victims, Fraud rings, Financial institutions | |
| 1971 | Use of Stolen Credit Cards | Evans received and used stolen credit cards as part of her money mule services. | Demonstrates broader involvement in financial crimes beyond money laundering. | National | Historical trend (2011-2013) | Victims, Financial institutions, Law enforcement | |
| 1972 | Federal Investigation | The FBI led the investigation, warned Evans about her involvement, and collaborated with the U.S. Attorney's Office. | Highlights law enforcement coordination and the defendant's continued participation despite warnings. | National | Historical trend (2011-2013) | FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, Defendant |
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