An Owings Mills woman has been handed a 42-month federal prison sentence for her role in a wire fraud scheme involving the handling of stolen luxury cars, according to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement released yesterday. The sentence also includes a two-year supervised release and mandates that Maimouna Bagayoki, 54, must pay $60,569.87 in restitution after her plea agreement confirmed participation in transporting the stolen vehicles to Maryland and then onto West Africa using falsified documentation.
Chief Judge George Levi Russell, III handed down the sentence as United States Attorney Erek L. Barron, along with officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and local police departments both commended the swift collaborative efforts leading to Bagayoko's arrest and conviction; the partnership was a key element in uncovering the fraudulent operation that, in 2021, involved stolen cars valued at over $650,000 mostly from residents of New Jersey and New York and their subsequent concealment within large cargo shipments destined for illegal export.
Barron's office has expressed his gratitude towards Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn for her role in prosecuting the case and praised the painstaking investigative work conducted by the HSI, CBP, Baltimore City Police, and Baltimore County Police.
The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to emphasize its intent to dismantle criminal enterprises within the district; initiatives and community outreach efforts offer support and resources for individuals affected by similar criminal activities, details and materials which can found on their official website, as Bagayoko now faces the consequences of her involvement in this complex wire fraud and motor vehicle theft network.
