https://www.wbrc.com/2024/06/12/vestavia-hills-man-pleads-guilty-money-laundering/

A Vestavia Hills man has pleaded guilty to laundering more than $2 million in illicit funds, according to U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

39-year-old Robert Carlton Howard pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 11, in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Howard was accused of laundering approximately $2.3 million in illicit funds prosecutors said were derived from business email compromise schemes targeting American businesses.

According to the plea agreement, in July and August 2021, Howard was part of a scheme that used fake email accounts designed to “spoof” or impersonate companies’ third party vendors.

As part of the scheme, Howard received approximately $2.3 million within two days. That’s when officials say he wired funds to a cryptocurrency account controlled by co-conspirators in Nigeria. They say of the $2.3 million Howard received, he retained and spent about $210,000 as compensation for his role in the scheme.