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A US court handed over a six-year jail term to a Ghanaian man for conspiring to launder proceeds of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Paul Williams Anti, 61, was sentenced Friday (7 June) having pleaded guilty to the charge on 14 March 2024.
Court documents show that the convict used 14 bank accounts under nine false identities and business names to launder more than $3.8 million in wire fraud proceeds from victims across the United States between September 15, 2020, and March 13, 2023.
He further concealed his identity by directing mail associated with the scheme to an elderly patient’s mailbox at an assisted living facility in Connecticut, where he was hired under another false identity.
Judge William M. Conley, who sentenced Williams Anti, noted the sophisticated and calculated nature of his crimes.
“He knowingly chose to participate in a massive scheme and set up a web of subterfuge to conceal his criminal conduct,” Judge Conley remarked.
U.S. Attorney O’Shea emphasized the critical role of money launderers in the success of fraud schemes, stating, “Often, the individuals who end up with the funds are not the ones conducting the online fraud, but they are critical components to the success of these schemes.”
HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald condemned Williams Anti’s actions, adding, “HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to disrupt this type of conspiracy and to protect organizations and individuals from being victimized.”
The investigation began in October 2020 after an organization in Madison, Wisconsin, fell victim to a $2.4 million business email compromise scheme. Altered invoices led the organization to transfer funds to fraudulent bank accounts controlled by Williams Anti.
The investigation revealed that approximately $1 million of the stolen funds were directed to two bank accounts under the names G.P., dba Electronics General Goods and G.P., dba Gary Ventures.
Law enforcement identified Williams Anti as the individual controlling these accounts and traced proceeds to 29 other wire fraud victims across the U.S., totaling approximately $7.7 million in losses, with $3.8 million laundered through Williams Anti’s accounts. He was arrested on March 14, 2023, in the Bronx, New York.
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