A former Department of Defense employee from Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to laundering millions of dollars for overseas scammers who had first targeted him in a romance fraud scheme.
Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Joel H. Slomsky to one count of concealment money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
After that, prosecutors said he knowingly helped the same group of fraudsters move money stolen from other victims.
His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16. The money laundering count carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Prosecutors Say Marcus Became a Money Mule
The Justice Department said Marcus was charged by indictment in February over his role as a money mule for Nigeria-based scammers.
From approximately July 2023 through December 2025, prosecutors said he received, concealed, and laundered fraud proceeds through personal and business accounts.
During that period, Marcus was employed as a logistics specialist with the U.S. Department of Defense, according to federal prosecutors.
The Scammers Used Romance Fraud and Other Schemes
The group behind the fraud operated under aliases including “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” prosecutors said.
Federal officials said the overseas fraudsters targeted victims in the United States through several types of schemes, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise.
Prosecutors said Marcus was initially victimized by a romance fraud scheme in late 2022 and early 2023.
Those schemes caused victims to lose millions of dollars, with money routed through accounts controlled by Marcus and other money mules in the United States.
Victim Money Was Converted Into Crypto and Sent Overseas
Prosecutors said the scammers instructed victims to transfer money into accounts opened and operated by money mules.
At the direction of the fraudsters, Marcus and others then carried out rapid financial transactions designed to move the money away from victim accounts and make it harder to trace.
The Justice Department said those transactions included converting stolen funds into cryptocurrency and moving money into foreign accounts.
Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, prosecutors said.
Marcus Lied to Banks and Law Enforcement
Marcus admitted that he knew “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers carrying out sophisticated fraud schemes. Prosecutors said he misled financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the money moving through his accounts.
That included sending fraudulent invoices to make transactions appear legitimate, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors also said Marcus continued working as a money mule even after FBI agents told him the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people. Agents also told him that his transfers were consistent with money laundering, according to prosecutors.
The Case Was Investigated by Federal Agencies
The investigation was handled by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service also assisted.
The case now moves to sentencing, where the court will consider Marcus’ guilty plea, the amount of money laundered, his conduct after the FBI warning, and the broader victim losses tied to the overseas fraud network.
What is a Money Mule? Red Flags and How to Report It
The FBI says a money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. Criminals use money mules to add distance between victims and the people running the fraud, making the money trail harder to trace.
Anyone who has been asked to move money for someone they met online should stop before sending another transfer, keep the funds in place, contact the bank’s fraud department, and preserve messages, account numbers, wire receipts, crypto wallet addresses, invoices, emails, and phone numbers.
Romance fraud, business email compromise, money mule activity, and suspicious online money transfers can be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Suspected scams can also be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.