ALBANY, N.Y. — A Virginia woman pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for her role in a nationwide scheme that used stolen identities to steal millions from financial institutions, federal prosecutors said.
Sherry Ozmore, 56, of Richmond, admitted to acting as a “runner” in the fraud ring, impersonating identity-theft victims at banks and credit unions to withdraw money. Prosecutors said she fraudulently obtained more than $195,000 over five months in 2023, receiving only a small share of the stolen funds.
The superseding indictment charges multiple individuals, including alleged ringleaders Oluwaseun Adekoya, 39, and David Daniyan, 60, both Nigerian citizens, with orchestrating the scheme. Prosecutors say the group stole personal information from victims across the U.S., opening fraudulent accounts and accessing stolen funds, with losses exceeding $1.7 million.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office launched an investigation following the May 2022 arrest of three suspects in Cohoes, New York, who were allegedly attempting to commit bank fraud.
Ozmore faces sentencing at a later date, while several co-defendants, including Adekoya and Daniyan, await trial on charges of bank fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.