The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arraigned a Kenyan man accused of orchestrating a multi-million shilling fake gold scam and engaging in alleged money laundering after an American investor lost USD 217,900 in a botched 495-kilogram gold deal.
In a statement, detectives said Willis Onyango Wasonga, also known as ‘Marcus’, was charged following investigations into what authorities described as a calculated scheme involving deception, fictitious agreements and complex financial transactions designed to conceal proceeds of crime.
According to the DCI, the complaint was lodged at Capitol Hill Police Station by Gershonov Oleg on behalf of his American business partner, John Sodipo.
The report triggered investigations that uncovered what detectives termed a “sophisticated gold scam” masked as a legitimate international bullion transaction.
Investigators revealed that Oleg first travelled to Kenya in September 2025 to pursue a gold deal that ultimately failed to materialize.
During his visit, he established contacts with individuals purporting to be gold dealers, among them Wasonga, who has been identified as the main suspect.
ARREST AND ARRAIGNMENT OF A MONEY LAUNDERER CUM FAKE GOLD MERCHANT
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… pic.twitter.com/U40eAjziKc
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) February 17, 2026
“Investigations have revealed that Oleg first visited Kenya in September 2025 to pursue a gold transaction that never materialized,” the DCI said, adding that negotiations later resumed between Sodipo and Wasonga over the purchase and chartering of 495 kilograms of gold to Dubai.
Detectives stated that after reaching an agreement, Sodipo deposited the agreed chartering fees into what was presented as an escrow account under advocate Michael Otieno Owano of MOAC Advocates.
Oleg subsequently travelled back to Kenya to oversee what he believed would be the shipment process.
However, authorities say the consignment was never delivered.
“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,” the DCI noted.
Investigators described the operation as an elaborate web of deception involving SRK Logistics Limited, a logistics firm allegedly misrepresenting its capacity to supply gold.
Detectives further claimed that fictitious legal representation agreements were generated to create the illusion of legitimacy and portray the transaction as a bona fide commercial undertaking.
Further scrutiny of financial records allegedly revealed that funds were swiftly transferred between company accounts before being moved overseas.
Detectives say the movement of money bore classic hallmarks of money laundering, including layering and concealment.
“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,” the statement said.
As investigations intensified, the suspect obtained anticipatory bail at the High Court before presenting himself at DCI Headquarters on February 13, 2026, for statement recording.
Wasonga was later arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court granted him a bond of Ksh 1 million with two contact persons or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 350,000.
The DCI emphasized that investigations remain ongoing, with more suspects being pursued in connection with the alleged scam. The case is scheduled for mention on March 3, 2026.
The agency reiterated its warning to members of the public and international investors to exercise due diligence in high-value commodity transactions, particularly in the gold trade, which has in recent years been linked to numerous fraudulent schemes targeting foreign nationals.
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