A United States Department of Defense employee, Samuel D. Marcus, is facing the possibility of a cumulative 100-year prison sentence after being charged with allegedly laundering millions of dollars for a network of Nigerian-based fraudsters.
Marcus, a logistics specialist with the DoD, was arrested and arraigned following an indictment announced by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf.
According to prosecutors, Marcus is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions, and one count of money laundering through illegal concealment.
Metcalf alleged that Marcus acted as a key financial conduit for an organised fraud ring operating from Nigeria, receiving and moving large sums of stolen funds on their behalf.
“The defendant is accused of serving as a money mule for sophisticated fraudsters, helping to receive, hide and transfer millions of dollars obtained from victims across the United States,” Metcalf said.
Investigations revealed that the fraud schemes included romance scams, cyber-enabled fraud and business email compromise, which targeted unsuspecting individuals and organisations.
Court documents stated that between July 2023 and December 2025, Marcus allegedly maintained frequent communication with members of the fraud network, who used the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray.”
Acting on their instructions, he was said to have carried out swift financial transactions, converting funds into cryptocurrency and transferring them to foreign accounts.
Prosecutors further alleged that Marcus deliberately deceived banks and law enforcement agencies by submitting fake invoices to disguise the illicit nature of the transactions.
Authorities claimed he continued the alleged laundering operations even after being cautioned by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that the funds moving through his accounts were proceeds of fraud.
If found guilty on all counts, Marcus faces a potential maximum sentence of 100 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and fines that could reach $2m.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Philadelphia Fort Washington Resident Agency, with support from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.
Metcalf, however, stressed that the charges remain allegations, noting that Marcus is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
