Financial Crimes

Leslie Kibula Bongajum, 34, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

The scheme involved suspects applying for store credit cards using stolen identities, then using those credit lines to purchase merchandise with no intention to pay them back. The scheme was carried out in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties.

According to court documents, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, 36, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years.

Prior to making an initial appearance April 3 for criminal charges in U.S. District Court on a federal criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, John O’Brien, 28, was arrested for immigration violations on March 28 for violating the terms of his admission and failing to depart the United States as required by October 2021.

The operation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation; the Houston Police Department; FBI; High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct One; Harris County District Attorney’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration.

As part of the scheme, the defendants stole the personally identifiable information of hundreds of victims — including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses — and used that information to make fake driver’s licenses to access credit in the victims’ names at large national retailers, including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

In December 2023, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Concord, New Hampshire Police Department began investigating a sophisticated gift card fraud scheme that is perpetuated by criminal organizations in China.

Ping Ping Zheng, 37, of Jacksonville, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, Zheng has agreed to forfeit to the United States a residence in Jacksonville and a transit van.

The indictment charges Elijah Gavin aka Timothy O’Reilly aka Elijah Thomas, 29, with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

During this operation, ICE and local police identified and arrested 15 individuals for the violation of federal law involving the use/manufacturing of an access device with the intent to defraud.