Virginia Man Arrested in Church Email Fraud Scheme, Faces Multiple Charges in Troup County

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. — A Virginia man has been arrested and extradited to Troup County in connection with a business email scam that defrauded a local church of more than $60,000, authorities said.

Samuel Nana Opoku, of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on March 20, 2026, and is charged with Money Laundering, Theft by Taking (Felony), five counts of Identity Fraud, and Initiation of Deceptive Commercial Email.

Investigators said Opoku was part of a criminal enterprise that carried out a sophisticated email scheme by impersonating financial advisors from a legitimate institution. Using spoofed email accounts, the suspects allegedly redirected funds into fraudulent business accounts under their control.

After obtaining the money, authorities said the group transferred the funds through additional accounts created using stolen identities to conceal and distribute the proceeds. Investigators also determined the suspects used the identities of church staff to create additional deceptive email accounts targeting other potential victims.

Opoku was initially arrested on November 22, 2025, in Fairfax County by the Virginia State Police and later extradited to Troup County.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional warrants have been issued for other individuals believed to be involved.

The Troup County Sheriff’s Office credited the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Virginia State Police, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, and Arlington County Police Department for assisting in the case.