Two plead guilty in large-scale interstate email scam scheme
2025-09-25 · Press release
Summary: A Houston man and woman have pleaded guilty to their respective roles in an identity theft and business email compromise scam (BEC)
HOUSTON - A Houston man and woman have pleaded guilty to their respective roles in an identity theft and business email compromise scam (BEC), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
From 2021 to 2022, Bolaji Okunnu, 31, operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from the BEC scheme.
As part of his plea, Okunnu acknowledged he moved money through bank accounts that he and others controlled. The funds originated from fraudsters involved in a BEC wire fraud scheme involving at least four victims. Okunnu admitted receiving the funds and then, for a fee, transmitting the fraud proceeds to others.
The scheme also included the theft of stolen checks from various companies.
Amber Bush, 30, created bank accounts to funnel money from stolen checks to Destini Godfrey, who is charged in the BEC wire fraud scheme.
As part of her plea, Bush admitted to using the name and personal identifying information of a real person without their knowledge or consent to open a bank account at JP Morgan Chase bank. After receiving deposits into that account which originated from a stolen check, Bush acknowledged she then issued four checks totaling $165,000 to Godfrey.
More than 45 people in multiple states, including Okunnu and eight others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate BEC schemes that affected numerous victims.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks will impose sentencing Dec. 8. At that time, Okunnu faces up to five years in federal prison, while Bush faces a mandatory prison term of two years. Both could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
They were permitted to remain on bond pending those hearings.
Godfrey, 31, Houston, is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000. He is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey and other law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
- district_office
- Southern District of Texas
- usa_name
- Nicholas J. Ganjei
- event_type
- plea
- judge_name
- George Hanks
- judge_title
- U.S. District Judge
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- up to five years in federal prison
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- $165,000, $250,000
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
- [null]
- timeline_json
- {"sentencing_date": "2025-12-08"}
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/two-plead-guilty-large-scale-interstate-email-scam-scheme
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3817 | Nicholas J. Ganjei | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston | |||
| 3818 | Bolaji Okunnu | defendant | Houston | 31 | pleaded guilty | |||
| 3819 | Amber Bush | defendant | Houston | 30 | pleaded guilty | |||
| 3820 | Destini Godfrey | defendant | Houston | 31 | charged | |||
| 3821 | George Hanks | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | Houston | |||
| 3822 | Belinda Beek | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2386 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Bryan Resident Agency | Conducted the investigation | |
| 2387 | Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation | IRS Criminal Investigation | investigation | Conducted the investigation | ||
| 2388 | Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office | assistance | Provided valuable assistance | |||
| 2389 | Edison Police Department | assistance | Provided valuable assistance |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2129 | Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | 5 years in federal prison | $250,000 | Bolaji Okunnu | pleaded guilty | 0 | enrichment | |||||||
| 2130 | Identity Theft | 2 years in federal prison | $250,000 | Amber Bush | pleaded guilty | 0 | enrichment |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 822 | fine | $250,000 | USD | maximum possible fine | cash | Bolaji Okunnu | pending |
| 823 | fine | $250,000 | USD | maximum possible fine | cash | Amber Bush | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 844 | business | companies | stolen checks | ||||
| 845 | individual | real person | 1 | identity theft | |||
| 846 | business | victims | BEC wire fraud scheme |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1032 | From 2021 to 2022, Bolaji Okunnu, 31, operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from the BEC scheme. | null | null | null | statement | Description of Okunnu's role in the scheme | Details the illegal activity Okunnu was involved in |
| 1033 | Okunnu acknowledged he moved money through bank accounts that he and others controlled. | Bolaji Okunnu | null | null | statement | Part of Okunnu's plea | Admission of his role in money laundering |
| 1034 | The funds originated from fraudsters involved in a BEC wire fraud scheme involving at least four victims. | null | null | null | statement | Description of the fraud scheme | Identifies the source of the funds and the number of victims |
| 1035 | Okunnu admitted receiving the funds and then, for a fee, transmitting the fraud proceeds to others. | Bolaji Okunnu | null | null | statement | Part of Okunnu's plea | Admission of his role in transmitting fraud proceeds |
| 1036 | Amber Bush, 30, created bank accounts to funnel money from stolen checks to Destini Godfrey, who is charged in the BEC wire fraud scheme. | null | null | null | statement | Description of Bush's role in the scheme | Details Bush's involvement in the fraud scheme |
| 1037 | Bush admitted to using the name and personal identifying information of a real person without their knowledge or consent to open a bank account at JP Morgan Chase bank. | Amber Bush | null | null | statement | Part of Bush's plea | Admission of identity theft |
| 1038 | After receiving deposits into that account which originated from a stolen check, Bush acknowledged she then issued four checks totaling $165,000 to Godfrey. | Amber Bush | null | null | statement | Part of Bush's plea | Admission of her role in transferring fraud proceeds |
| 1039 | More than 45 people in multiple states, including Okunnu and eight others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate BEC schemes that affected numerous victims. | null | null | null | statement | Description of the broader scheme | Indicates the scale of the operation and the number of people involved |
| 1040 | U.S. District Judge George Hanks will impose sentencing Dec. 8. | null | null | null | statement | Sentencing details | Provides the date for sentencing |
| 1041 | At that time, Okunnu faces up to five years in federal prison, while Bush faces a mandatory prison term of two years. | null | null | null | statement | Potential sentences | Details the potential prison terms for Okunnu and Bush |
| 1042 | Both could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 maximum possible fine. | null | null | null | statement | Potential fines | Details the potential fines for Okunnu and Bush |
| 1043 | Godfrey, 31, Houston, is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. | null | null | null | statement | Status of Godfrey | Indicates that Godfrey is a fugitive and wanted by authorities |
| 1044 | Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000. | null | null | null | statement | Call for information | Provides contact information for tips on Godfrey's location |
| 1045 | He is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. | null | null | null | statement | Legal presumption | Affirms Godfrey's right to due process |
| 1046 | The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey and other law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. | null | null | null | statement | Investigation details | Identifies the agencies involved in the investigation |
| 1047 | Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case. | null | null | null | statement | Prosecution details | Identifies the prosecutor handling the case |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2823 | Business Email Compromise (BEC) | The defendants were involved in a BEC scheme that targeted multiple victims across various states. | BEC is a significant theme as it is the primary criminal activity that the defendants were involved in. | 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 18 U.S.C. § 1344 | National | Recent development | Law enforcement, Victims, Financial institutions |
| 2824 | Identity Theft | Amber Bush used the personal identifying information of a real person without their consent to open a bank account. | Identity theft is a key component of the fraud scheme, enabling the defendants to launder money. | 18 U.S.C. § 1028 | National | Recent development | Law enforcement, Victims, Financial institutions |
| 2825 | Money Laundering | Bolaji Okunnu operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to move fraud proceeds through controlled bank accounts. | Money laundering facilitated the concealment and transfer of illicit funds obtained from the BEC scheme. | 18 U.S.C. § 1956, 18 U.S.C. § 1957 | National | Recent development | Law enforcement, Financial institutions |
| 2826 | Interstate Crime | The scheme involved multiple states and numerous victims, indicating a coordinated interstate criminal operation. | The interstate nature of the crime highlights the need for coordinated law enforcement efforts across jurisdictions. | 18 U.S.C. § 1952 | National | Recent development | Law enforcement, Victims |
| 2827 | Law Enforcement Cooperation | The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. | Cooperation among law enforcement agencies is crucial for effectively investigating and prosecuting interstate crimes. | null | National | Recent development | Law enforcement, Prosecutors |
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