Dude pocketed $14K, but is prolly looking at jail time for money laundering.

Gainesville man arrested in money laundering scheme
By Monivette Cordeiro
Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.

Deputies say a Gainesville man was arrested Monday afternoon for his role in an online money-laundering scheme.

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office gave this account: Elijah Lashawn Brown, 22, of 15 NE 39th Place opened an account with Sunstate Federal Credit Union on Oct. 16, and the account was inactive until Brown was contacted via email by a man who called himself Ben Shao.

The two agreed that Brown would help Shao funnel money from Hong Kong into the United States and then to an offshore account near England, the report said.

Brown told investigators the offshore account was so Shao could send $25 million over time into the account, which he and Shao would them divide.

Brown opened accounts in Bank of America, Vystar Credit Union and Sunstate Federal Credit Union. Shao would send Brown installment payments, which Brown would then send through Western Union to people only known as Obasi Benedict in Nigeria and Abbey Oshin in Paris, the report said.

After his first few attempts failed, Brown gave his personal banking information for the account with Sunstate Federal Credit Union to Shao.

Shao sent Brown almost daily installments of $4,800 to $5,000, which Brown then sent through Western Union to Paris and Nigeria throughout October, the report said.

During this period, Brown obtained $14,844 from his Sunstate Federal Credit Union account, the report sid.

Brown was arrested charged with three felony counts of scheming to defraud, grand theft and money laundering. He was being held as of Tuesday at the Alachua County jail on $30,000 bond.