Overview
- A federal jury convicted 41-year-old Babajide Adesayo on two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 16 counts of transactional money laundering after an eight-day trial, with jurors delivering the verdict on Thursday.
- Prosecutors say Adesayo received and moved more than $2.7 million that scammers stole from victims, including older adults who in some cases lost retirement savings.
- Court evidence described fraudsters who between April 2020 and September 2021 gained victims' trust, directed payments into business accounts controlled by co-defendant Efemena Igbe, and then funneled funds to Adesayo disguised as vehicle payments.
- Authorities say Adesayo wired much of the money to accounts in China, Hong Kong and Nigeria, he continued laundering activity after a June 2024 arrest which led a judge to revoke his bond, and he has been in federal custody since March 2, 2026 with sentencing set for Nov. 20.
- The case was led by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations with Secret Service and state partners, and prosecutors say the use of front companies and cross-border transfers shows why recovery is hard and why law enforcement is now focusing on domestic facilitators.