This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Sherman Police Department, and the Appleton (Wisconsin) Police Department.
Pamela Sue Hannan, 66, of Sherman, Texas, and Pamela Sue Jennings, 68, of Houston, Texas, were indicted by a federal grand jury Oct. 16. Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the indictment, Hannan and Jennings are alleged to have laundered funds received from romance scam victims and from victims of other fraudulent schemes on behalf of their co-conspirators, who were based outside of the United States.
In order to facilitate this scheme, Hannan and Jennings opened bank accounts in the names of businesses which purported to provide legitimate services. In reality, these businesses were used to facilitate the money laundering scheme.
Together, Hannan and Jennings received more than $880,000 from victims of the scheme. The majority of the funds they received were subsequently transferred overseas to their co-conspirators.
If convicted, Hannan and Jennings each face up to 20 years in federal prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld, Eastern District of Texas.
NOTE: A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.