A Kenyan man, Willis Onyango Wasonga, has been arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi over an alleged Sh28 million international fake gold scam that targeted an American investor in a botched 495-kilogram gold deal destined for Dubai.

Wasonga, who detectives say also used the alias “Marcus,” was presented in court after investigations linked him to a sophisticated scheme that reportedly defrauded a U.S. national of USD 217,900 (approximately Sh28 million).

The Complaint

The case was reported at Capitol Hill Police Station by Gershonov Oleg on behalf of his American business partner, John Sodipo. According to investigators, Oleg first travelled to Kenya in September 2025 to pursue a gold transaction that ultimately failed to materialize.

During his visit, he allegedly established contact with individuals posing as gold dealers, among them Wasonga, who would later become the main suspect in the probe.

The 495kg Gold Deal

Detectives say negotiations between Sodipo and Wasonga led to an agreement for the purchase and chartering of 495 kilograms of gold to Dubai.

Following the agreement, Sodipo is said to have deposited the agreed chartering fees into what was presented as an escrow account under advocate Michael Otieno Owano of MOAC Advocates. Oleg later travelled back to Kenya to oversee the shipment process.

However, the gold consignment allegedly failed to ship within the agreed timelines. As pressure mounted for delivery, investigators say it became clear that the deal was fictitious.

Alleged Web of Deception

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects’ modus operandi involved an elaborate network designed to give the transaction a veneer of legitimacy.

Detectives allege that SRK Logistics Limited misrepresented its capacity to supply gold, while fictitious legal representation agreements were generated to portray MOAC Advocate LLP as handling a legitimate commercial transaction.

Further investigations revealed that funds were allegedly moved swiftly between company accounts before being transferred overseas — a pattern investigators say bears the hallmarks of money laundering, including layering and concealment of proceeds of crime.

Arrest and Court Proceedings

With investigations closing in, Wasonga secured anticipatory bail at the High Court before presenting himself at DCI Headquarters on February 13, 2026, for statement recording.

He was later arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court granted him a bond of Sh1 million with two contact persons or, in the alternative, a cash bail of Sh350,000.

Investigations Ongoing

Detectives say investigations remain ongoing as authorities pursue additional suspects believed to be connected to the alleged scam.

The case is scheduled for mention on March 3, 2026, as the prosecution continues to piece together what investigators describe as a calculated and sophisticated international gold fraud scheme.

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In a significant breakthrough, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Operations Support Unit have arrested David Onyango Ochanda, a notorious figure implicated in a sophisticated gold scam that defrauded an American investor of Ksh 29.3 million (USD 225,968.64).

The arrest, announced on Friday, August 15, 2025, marks a critical step in combating the rising tide of financial crimes in East Africa.

The Elaborate Scheme Unraveled

The scam, which dates back to April 3, 2024, began when the unsuspecting investor arrived in Kenya to finalize a deal for the purchase of 3,370 kilograms of gold.

Lured into a seemingly legitimate transaction, the investor was escorted to an office at Gate 53, Chalbi Drive in Lavington, Nairobi, where he signed a Sales and Purchase Agreement.

To bolster the illusion of authenticity, the scammers staged a smelting process at the seller’s agent’s office, a tactic increasingly documented in gold fraud cases across the region.

The plot thickened on April 25, 2024, when the investor was introduced to Toureg Insurance Brokers Limited, a registered Kenyan brokerage overseen by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA).

David Onyango Ochanda, identified as the director of the company and the signatory to the account that received the funds, presented the firm as the entity responsible for insuring the gold during transit.

An addendum to the original agreement was signed, inflating the invoice to USD 226,012.76, of which USD 225,968.64 was wired by the investor on April 29, 2024. The gold, however, never materialized.

Coordinated Sting Operation

Today’s arrest followed a meticulously planned operation by DCI detectives, who had long had Ochanda on their radar.

The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing processing, with arraignment scheduled for Monday, August 18, 2025.

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The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has intensified its efforts against transnational gold fraud syndicates, responsible for defrauding foreign investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars through elaborate fake gold schemes.

In an ongoing investigation, detectives from the Operations Support Unit (OSU) have arrested Michael Otieno Owano, an advocate and proprietor of Otieno M.O. Law Advocates, for his role in a high-stakes scam that defrauded a Canadian investor of USD 618,000.

The victim was lured into a fake gold export deal involving 250 kilograms of gold, allegedly set for shipment to Dubai aboard a private jet. On April 15, 2025, a Proforma Invoice of USD 318,400 was issued by EAI Logistics, with the funds wired to Owano’s law firm account. He was later asked to send an additional USDT 300,000 to a cryptocurrency wallet, but no gold was ever delivered.

Owano’s arrest follows the earlier arrest of Francis Talla Ouafo, also known as Allain, a Cameroonian national believed to be the mastermind of the syndicate. He was arraigned on July 31, 2025, at the Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Court.

In a separate but similarly orchestrated scam, Lupemba Lorenzi Olivier, a Congolese national, appeared at the Milimani Law Courts in connection with a fraudulent gold deal targeting a Gabonese investor. Detectives secured a seven-day custodial order to finalise investigations. The matter is scheduled for mention on August 13, 2025.

Meanwhile, another suspect, Kelvin Otieno Onyango, alias Kevo Sonko, the alleged director of SwiftTaxis Logistics Ltd, was arrested for his role in the same case. The complainant was led to his office, where they negotiated and formalised the gold deal. He later transferred USD 140,000 into an escrow account.

All the suspects are currently in custody, undergoing processing pending their arraignment in court, as DCI intensifies efforts to dismantle the networks behind these sophisticated gold scams.

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Four fake gold merchants have been arrested in Runda estate by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), drawn from Nairobi region and Gigiri Police Station.

During the arrest, 9.5 Kg of fake gold was recovered. Assorted items that the suspects have been using to scam people were also recovered.

“A combined team of DCI officers drawn from the Nairobi region and DCI Gigiri have arrested four fake gold merchants at Runda estate and recovered fake gold bars weighing approximately 9.5 kgs and assorted items that the suspects have been using in their illicit trade,” DCI said in a statement issued on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Their arrest follows a report that was made by a foreign national who had been earlier deruaded of Ksh 20 million (USD 200,000).

Those arrested are Felix Odiambo Otieno, Derrick Odhiambo Omore, Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed and Moses Odhiambo Auma.

“The arrest of the four snake oil merchants follows a report from a foreign national who had earlier been defrauded USD 200,000 in a phony gold scheme,” the DCI stated.

“Upon receipt of the information, the detectives proceeded to a targeted dwelling house located within plot number 685 along Glory valley lane where they managed to arrest Felix Odiambo Otieno, Derrick Odhiambo Omore, Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed and Moses Odhiambo Auma as scores of other suspects managed to escape the detectives’ snare.”

Upon search of the house, several recoveries that include fake gold bars, a weighing machine, a plastic briefcase containing an electronic gold tester machine (tester gun), assorted documents among other items were made.

Subsequently, the scene was processed by CSI detectives, exhibits secured and suspects kept in custody pending processing and arraignment.

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