Published on: May 7, 2026, 04:29h.
Updated on: May 7, 2026, 04:29h.
- Federal indictment reveals casino email account was covertly monitored for months
- Scammers posed as Light & Wonder, rerouting nearly $270,000 in transactions
- FBI declares commitment to pursue international cyber fraud suspects globally
A federal court in South Dakota has indicted a Nigerian individual, alleging his involvement in an intricate cyber fraud operation that swindled Prairie Wind Casino & Hotel out of over $270,000.
This casino, managed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is located within the Pine Ridge Reservation in the southwestern part of South Dakota, near the Nebraska border.
As stated in a redacted federal indictment submitted to the U.S. District Court in South Dakota, prosecutors contend that Kenneth Godwin and unnamed accomplices executed a prolonged “business email compromise scheme” targeting the tribal casino from May to September 2023.
The scheme involved impersonation of the gaming technology firm Light & Wonder and other vendors to exploit pre-existing business relationships.
Infiltrated Email Account
The nefarious activities commenced when the conspirators unlawfully accessed the email account of the casino’s general manager in June 2023. They subsequently altered the account settings to discreetly redirect and hide emails, enabling them to unobtrusively monitor internal communications.
According to prosecutors, the fraudsters utilized the hacked account to dispatch fictitious payment directives to casino personnel, approving wire transfers that seemed genuine.
By tracking authentic email interactions between the casino and Light & Wonder, the conspirators managed to impersonate Light & Wonder representatives through manipulated or redirected email domains.
They informed casino officials that the casino owed approximately $284,000 in overdue payments, directing them to wire funds to alternative bank accounts since checks would no longer be accepted, prosecutors assert.
Believing these communications were authentic, casino officials transferred three payments totaling nearly $199,000 between July and September 2023.
The fraud was uncovered on September 6, 2023, when a legitimate account manager from Light & Wonder reached out to the casino regarding unpaid invoices. At that moment, the casino recognized that previous wire transfers had been sent to illegitimate accounts managed by the fraudsters, according to prosecutors.
Authorities claim that the misappropriated funds were funneled through multiple accounts using an OFX international transfer account before ultimately being redirected to banks in Canada. The scam collectively extracted nearly $270,880 from the casino.
Current Status of Arrest
Federal prosecutors have charged Godwin with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, several counts of wire fraud, and unauthorized access to a protected computer. It is believed that he is currently residing in Nigeria, and it remains unclear whether he has been apprehended or extradited to the United States.
FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson has pledged that the FBI will “locate those who steal from and engage in fraudulent activities against the citizens of the United States, regardless of where these offenders might be.”