Co-conspirator sentenced for multimillion-dollar money laundering conspiracy following HSTF fraud investigation

BALTIMORE - A Maryland man has been sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison in connection with his leadership role in a multimillion-dollar money laundering scheme following a Homeland Security Task Force fraud investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Maryland.

Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Yahya Sowe, 42, of College Park, to the 114-month prison term June 16, for engaging in a large, multimember money laundering conspiracy. Additionally, Maddox ordered Sowe to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $13,050,827.03 in restitution, and to forfeit $1 million. Sowe, who pleaded guilty to participating in the money laundering conspiracy Dec. 15, 2025, admitted that more than $11 million in money laundering occurred pursuant to his management or supervisory role in the scheme.

"Mr. Sowe profited from fraud schemes ranging from business email compromise to COVID-19 relief programs," said HSI Maryland Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin. "The court's sentence and substantial restitution order demonstrate that there are severe consequences for abusing government programs and exploiting victims' trust. HSI is committed to following the money, exposing shell companies, and bringing every participant in these schemes to justice."

This prosecution is also part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation); HSI; the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; the United States Marshals Service; the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA; the Maryland State Police; the Baltimore Police Department; and the Baltimore County Police Department with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.

Read more about this case at Justice.gov.