A LUO man arrested after masterminding a gold scam that saw an American businessman lose over Ksh 28 million (PHOTOs)

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 - A Kenyan man has been arraigned in court after defrauding an American national of USD 217,900 in a botched 495kgs gold deal.

Willis Onyango Wasonga was arrested after a report was made at Capitol Hill Police Station by Gershonov Oleg on behalf of his American business partner, John Sodipo, following what detectives now describe as a calculated money laundering and sophisticated gold scam.

Investigations have revealed that Oleg first visited Kenya in September 2025 to pursue a gold transaction that never materialized.

However, during that trip, he established contacts with alleged gold dealers, one of them identified as Willis Onyango Wasonga alias ‘Marcus’ who is the main suspect.

Later, negotiations between Sodipo and Willis Onyango for the purchase and subsequent chartering of 495kgs of gold to Dubai commenced.

After reaching an agreement, Sodipo deposited the agreed chartering fees into a purported Escrow account under advocate Michael Otieno Owano of MOAC Advocates, with Oleg flying to Kenya to oversee the shipment process.

However, the shipment delayed past the agreed timelines and as pressure for the consignment to be chartered mounted, it became clear the deal was a mirage.

It dawned on the American business men that they were dealing with seasoned Machiavellian scammers with dark triad characteristics.

This unholy trinity forms the foundation of their manipulative prowess, allowing them to navigate social situations with ease while remaining detached from the emotional consequences of their actions.

Detectives established that the suspects’ modus operandi involved an elaborate web of deception involving SRK Logistics Limited, a logistics company allegedly misrepresenting its capacity to supply gold.

Fictitious legal representation agreements were also generated to create the illusion of legitimacy, falsely portraying MOAC Advocate LLP as handling bona fide commercial transactions.

Further, Investigations revealed that funds were swiftly moved between company accounts and later transferred overseas, a pattern investigators say bears classic hallmarks of money laundering, including layering and concealment of proceeds of crime.

With investigations tightening, the main suspect secured anticipatory bail at the High Court before presenting himself at DCI Headquarters on 13^th February 2026 for statement recording.

He was later arraigned at Milimani Law Courts where he pleaded not guilty and was granted a bond of Ksh. 1 Million with two contact persons or an alternative cash bail of Ksh. 350,000.

Investigations remain ongoing even as more suspects are being pursued while the case awaits mention on March 03, 2026.

Via DCI