https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-jefferson-shelby-county-vestavia-hills-man-arrested-charged-money-laundering-illicit-funds-indicted-fbi-investigation-robert-carleton-howard

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — A Vestavia Hills man was charged with laundering millions from businesses.

The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) said a seven-count indictment accuses 39-year-old Robert Carleton Howard of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.

Authorities said Howard is suspected of laundering $2.3 million in illicit funds derived from business email compromise schemes targeting American businesses.

According to the indictment, from at least July 2021 through August 2021, Howard was part of a scheme that used fake email accounts designed to "spoof" or impersonate companies’ third-party vendors.

The USDOJ said the fake email accounts were created to trick those companies into wiring large amounts of money into bank accounts controlled by the conspiracy.

Howard opened and controlled at least one bank account into which he received approximately $2.3 million in business email compromise proceeds within two days.

Authorities said he immediately converted those proceeds to cryptocurrency and transferred them to other members of the conspiracy and to his personal bank account.