A Georgia woman has been caught in the firm grip of justice after orchestrating a real estate wire fraud scheme. Jasmine Shante Faniel, also known as Teresa Dennis, was sentenced on October 30, to nine months in jail and two years of formal probation, as detailed by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. She was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of her fraud.
In March 2023, using the alias Teresa Dennis, Faniel opened multiple bank accounts in Georgia to launder funds stolen from a family trying to buy their first home. After receiving the money from co-defendant Abdoul Aziz Bah and keeping a portion for herself, Faniel transferred the bulk of the stolen $201,000 to Nigeria, where it was laundered through international auto auctions. Both defendants were found to have acted as "money mules" in the scheme, as per the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
After her guilty plea on September 26, the District Attorney’s Office Real Estate Fraud Unit (DAO REFU) secured a court order for partial restitution to the victims. "To date, $38,500 has been recovered and returned to the victims," as stated by the DA's Office. Senior Deputy District Attorney Dominic Kardum, from the Ventura County DA's Real Estate Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
