PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Philadelphia woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to laundering more than $1 million in proceeds from business email compromise schemes that targeted local government entities, federal prosecutors said.
Domonesha Owens, 37, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Joshua D. Wolson to one count of conspiracy to launder a monetary instrument. The case stems from a federal indictment returned in December 2025.
According to court filings and statements by prosecutors, Owens participated in a conspiracy beginning around August 2020 that used business bank accounts to receive and move proceeds from wire fraud schemes. Prosecutors alleged the transactions were intended to conceal the source, ownership and movement of the funds, while Owens retained a portion of the proceeds as compensation.
Federal prosecutors alleged Owens and her co-conspirators opened bank accounts in the names of businesses and used those accounts to launder fraud proceeds generated through business email compromise schemes.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, one government entity was induced to transfer approximately $352,779 into an account controlled by Owens, while two others transferred approximately $486,740 and $155,210, respectively, into accounts she controlled.
Owens is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 6. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $2,000,270.94.
The FBI and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Chandler Harris and Nancy Potts are prosecuting it.
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