A five-day trial has culminated in a conviction for Sherlyn Sims, also known as "Sherlyn Dzinzi," after a jury found her guilty of laundering over $1.2 million, the proceeds of romance scams and business email compromise schemes. The United States Attorney's Office in Georgia announced that Sims orchestrated the movement of stolen funds through multiple bank accounts, swiftly rerouting the money beyond U.S. reach. Sims is looking at a November 5, 2024, sentencing date, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

During the trial, Sims's multiple bank accounts at institutions like J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and Bank of America were highlighted as pivotal to the operation. These accounts were fed by the savings of defrauded victims, often elderly, who suffered not just financial losses but emotional turmoil. "The fraud schemes that Sims perpetrated in this case have become an epidemic in this country," U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said, emphasizing the particularly insidious targeting of vulnerable individuals, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Yet Sims's conviction is a part of a broader strike against these crimes, which stretches far beyond Georgia's borders.

Businesses with no legitimate purpose, such as Grace Trading, LLC, were established solely as fronts for Sims's laundering activities. Within days of formally registering these entities, she set up business bank accounts and started receiving substantial deposits from those duped by the scams. The fraud also extended to a sham COVID-loan from the Small Business Administration, further exploiting systems put in place to aid legitimate businesses in distress. Sims’s co-defendants have also been subject to the force of justice, with Bright Eigbedion awaiting sentencing and Presley Ihimekpen already sentenced to five years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex R. Sistla and Kelly K. Connors brought the case before the court, backed by the efforts of the FBI. The jury's decision against Sims underscores a commitment to fighting schemes that leverage technology to prey on trust and vulnerability. "The consequences of this type of fraud scheme are far-reaching," said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The case also serves as a potent reminder that as our society grows more interconnected through technology, vigilance against those who exploit these connections for personal gain must be steadfast and unyielding.