TROUP COUNTY, Ga. — A man accused of helping steal more than $60,000 from a west Georgia church through a sophisticated email scheme is now in custody, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Investigators say Samuel Nana Opoku, of Fairfax County, Va., was arrested on March 20 and is facing charges, including money laundering, felony theft by taking, five counts of identity fraud, and initiating deceptive commercial email.
Authorities say Opoku was part of a larger criminal enterprise behind a business email compromise scheme that targeted a church in Troup County.
According to Troup County investigators, suspects impersonated financial advisors connected to a legitimate financial institution. Using spoofed email accounts, they convinced church representatives to send funds to a fake business account controlled by the group.
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Once the money was transferred, deputies say the suspects moved the funds through multiple bank accounts created using stolen identities to hide the money trail and distribute the proceeds.
Investigators also discovered the group allegedly used the identities of church staff members to create additional fake email accounts, potentially to target more victims.
Opoku was first arrested in Virginia on November 22, 2025, by the Virginia State Police and was later extradited to Georgia to face charges.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities say additional warrants have been issued for other individuals believed to be involved.
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