Cincinnati Woman Pleads Guilty To Role In Illegal Money Laundering 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.