An Ohio man has been sentenced to over four years in federal prison for his involvement in a sophisticated wire fraud and money laundering operation that victimized companies across the country, including in Mississippi.

Gabriel Waters, 54, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was ordered to pay more than $547,000 in restitution in addition to his prison term.

According to court documents, Waters was a key player in a scheme in which fraudsters created fake email accounts that mimicked legitimate corporate finance departments. They used these fraudulent emails to trick employees, customers, or partners into wiring money to bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters, disguised as legitimate business transactions.

Waters’ specific role involved setting up U.S. bank accounts to receive the illicit funds directly from victims. He then laundered the money through various accounts before converting it to cryptocurrency and sending it overseas to other members of the fraud ring.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.