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Worcester couple convicted of helping scam woman out of $3.2M

  • Posted by Worcester News March 28, 2024 - Filed in News - #Worcester  #Department of Justice  #Nafise Quaye  #Sunna Sepetu  - 9,178 views


    Concord, N.H. Federal Court (Google)

    CONCORD, N.H. – After an 8-day trial, a federal jury has delivered a guilty verdict against a Worcester, Mass., couple for their roles in an intricate money laundering conspiracy tied to wire fraud.

    Nafise Quaye, 47, and Sunna Sepetu, 37, were found guilty of conspiring to launder the proceeds of a heart-wrenching scheme that swindled a woman from Texas out of $3.2 million, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

    The case, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot, concluded with the announcement that sentencing is set for July 8th. The convictions underscore the Justice Department's unyielding stance against cyber-enabled financial crimes and its commitment to pursuing individuals who exploit the digital realm to prey on unsuspecting victims.

    United States Attorney Jane E. Young highlighted the significance of the jury's decision, emphasizing the department's dedication to combatting the scourge of internet-based frauds.

    “The defendants knowingly accepted millions of dollars in wire fraud proceeds from a vulnerable victim in the United States and sent those proceeds overseas to the fraud perpetrator," Young said. The operation saw the defendants channeling the ill-gotten funds to foreign perpetrators, with a portion siphoned off for their own enrichment.

    Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England shed light on the deceitful tactics employed by Quaye, Sepetu, and their accomplices. By fabricating a romantic interest, they ensnared their victim in a web of lies, exploiting her trust to facilitate their fraud.

    “Sepetu and his co-defendants stole more than $3 million from a woman through heartless fraud and manipulation. They created a false identity to build their victim’s trust, making her believe she had found love and used that trust to coerce her into sending them millions of dollars,” Krol said.

    From 2013 to 2019, the couple received a staggering $3.2 million from their victim, laundering the funds through bank accounts linked to shell companies before sending them abroad. This complex financial trail underscored the elaborate planning and execution behind their criminal enterprise.

    The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the United States Department of Homeland Security, culminated in the successful prosecution of Quaye and Sepetu.

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