Ghanaian-American jailed 17years in U.S. over $38 million cyber fraud scheme

A 33-year-old Ghanaian-American, Kelvin Owusu Nkwantabisa, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison by a federal court in Florida for leading a transnational cybercrime network involved in Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes that defrauded victims of about US$38 million.

Nkwantabisa, who operated under the aliases “KO” and “Kevin Brown,” was identified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida as the head of the group’s operations in the United States. The syndicate reportedly gained unauthorized access to corporate email systems to monitor financial transactions, enabling them to impersonate legitimate business partners and divert payments.

Prosecutors said Nkwantabisa played a central role in coordinating the scheme, including establishing bank accounts across multiple states, monitoring stolen wire transfers, and directing accomplices on how to launder the proceeds through shell companies. His leadership role attracted the heaviest sentence among the convicted members.

Three of his co-conspirators were also sentenced after pleading guilty.

Leshea Moore, 29, from Georgia, received more than 11 years in prison for managing shell companies and facilitating the transfer of illicit funds.

John Jouissance, 33, from Ohio, was sentenced to four years for registering fraudulent businesses and accounts used to receive stolen money.

Justice Amoh, 37, from New York, received a three-year sentence for using aliases to open bank accounts and move funds under Nkwantabisa’s instructions.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the group exploited the trust of legitimate businesses to siphon millions of dollars, adding that the sentences should serve as a warning against attempts to manipulate the American financial system.

The case followed an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations in Fort Lauderdale.