LEXINGTON, Ky. (Tuesday, September 23, 2025) – U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced Benard Babot, 39, of Louisville, Ky., to 66 months in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering.
According to his plea agreement, Babot knew his coconspirators were contacting businesses worldwide to convince them to send money for goods they falsely claimed to sell. He opened at least 25 business bank accounts under the exact or similar names of legitimate international food, agricultural, or chemical supply companies to receive payments from victims. Some of these accounts were opened in Lexington, Kentucky. Court documents also state Babot created shell companies with Secretaries of State, mimicking legitimate businesses.
Babot then provided the account details to his coconspirators, who passed them to the victims to direct payments. Victims wired money to Babot but never received the promised goods. According to his plea agreement, Babot funneled the proceeds through additional accounts, issued cashier’s checks to conspirators, wired funds overseas using peer-to-peer money transfer services, and withdrew cash for personal use, often in amounts over $10,000.
Between January 2019 and December 2023, Babot helped conceal more than $8.2 million in fraud proceeds from schemes targeting over 30 international businesses in more than 25 countries. Court documents show Babot personally earned $2,480,392.11 from the offense and spent it on personal expenses and ventures, including his Louisville nightclub.
Under federal law, Babot must serve 85 percent of his prison term. After release, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office, announced the sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf prosecuted the case for the United States.
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