MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Hanover woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a multi-million-dollar money laundering conspiracy tied to large-scale wire fraud that targeted a wide range of victims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland.
In federal court in Baltimore, Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Areal Harris, 27, to two years in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
Maddox also ordered Harris to pay $3,159,482.83 in restitution.
Harris pleaded guilty in May 2025 to participating in the money laundering conspiracy. She admitted that at least $1.3 million in money laundering occurred through her direct participation, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said the conspiracy began in 2021 and continued into February 2024. Harris and multiple co-conspirators laundered proceeds from wire fraud by conducting financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the funds.
Victims included government agencies, organizations and companies, including an environmental trust, an urban redevelopment program, a medical center, a transportation and logistics company, a school district, a college and a county government, among others.
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Court documents say Harris and others created limited liability companies to serve as shell entities, opened bank accounts in the names of those entities, and used the accounts to receive and launder fraud proceeds.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence alongside Christopher R. Heck, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Maryland; Kareem A. Carter, special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C., field office; and George Golliday, acting special agent in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland previously charged 14 defendants in the case. Thirteen have pleaded guilty. Faizou Gnora, 28, previously of Alexandria, Virginia, remains a fugitive from justice.
Prosecutors said the overall conspiracy involved more than $20 million in money laundering and more than 15 different victim entities.
The court previously sentenced several defendants, including:
- Agbeyome to 48 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, along with restitution of $2,938,424.65, and a $2.8 million preliminary order of forfeiture
- Ogunsanwo to 40 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $5,648,816.23
- Parker to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release and restitution of $8,306,930.95
- Ogisi to 33 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $11,077,044.17
- Ndjouandjouaka to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $733,941.48
- Colon to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and restitution of $2,515,159.63
- Killen to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $7,070,656.46, and a $3 million forfeiture order.
