Decatur Woman Gets 10-Year Sentence in $158,000 Business Email Scam
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – A Decatur woman has been sentenced after pleading to theft and money laundering charges stemming from a business email compromise scheme that diverted $158,000 intended for the purchase of strawberry seeds.
Ogechi Urenna Udunka, 44, pleaded to two counts each of theft by taking and money laundering, according to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.
A Gwinnett County Superior Court judge sentenced Udunka under Georgia’s First Offender Act to 10 years, with the first 90 days to be served in prison and the remainder on probation. She was also ordered to repay the full $158,000 and complete 200 hours of community service.
The case stemmed from two fraudulent wire transfers made June 15 and June 30, 2021.
According to investigators, an agricultural company was purchasing strawberry seeds from an Oregon company when it received payment instructions from an email address designed to closely resemble the legitimate company’s address.
The agricultural company sent two wire transfers totaling $158,000. Authorities said the money instead went to Udunka as part of a business email compromise scam carried out by an unidentified person or people.
After receiving the money, Udunka conducted several financial transactions intended to conceal where the funds came from and distributed the stolen proceeds to herself and others, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Business email compromise schemes typically involve criminals impersonating a trusted business or individual through email to trick victims into sending money or changing payment instructions.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Joseph Chappelle.
