A Kenyan man has been arraigned in court for allegedly defrauding an American national of Sh28 million ($217,900) in a failed gold transaction involving 495 kilogrammes of gold.
Willis Onyango Wasonga was arrested after a report was filed at Capitol Hill Police Station by Gershonov Oleg on behalf of his American business partner, John Sodipo. Detectives described the case as a calculated money laundering scheme and a sophisticated gold scam.
In a statement on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said investigations revealed that Oleg first travelled to Kenya in September 2025 to pursue a gold deal that never materialised. During that visit, he made contacts with alleged gold dealers, including Wasonga, also known as “Marcus,” who is the main suspect.
Later, negotiations began between Sodipo and Wasonga for the purchase and charter shipment of 495kg of gold to Dubai. After reaching an agreement, Sodipo deposited the agreed chartering fees into a purported escrow account under advocate Michael Otieno Owano of MOAC Advocates, while Oleg travelled to Kenya to oversee the shipment.
However, the shipment delayed beyond the agreed timelines. As pressure mounted for the consignment to be delivered, the businessmen realised the deal was fraudulent.
“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,” DCI said.
Investigators further established that the funds were quickly moved between company accounts and later transferred overseas, a pattern they say reflects classic money laundering methods, including layering and concealment of proceeds of crime.
As investigations intensified, the main suspect obtained 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. The court granted him a bond of Sh1 million with two sureties or an alternative cash bail of Sh350,000.
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