(JUST IN) CRIME: THREE NIGERIANS IMPRISONED IN US OVER $2M FRAUD SCHEME
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Authorities in the United States have imprisoned three Nigerians for their roles in a fraud scheme that often targeted elderly victims.
For his part in the conspiracy, Kalamazoo resident Fatai Okunola, 38, was sentenced to a little over ten years in prison and ordered to pay more than $730,000 in restitution.
Okunola received concurrent sentences of five years for making false representations during naturalisation and ten years for money laundering.
Additionally, two Dallas people received sentences. The 34-year-old Oluwaseyi Adeola was given a sentence of over three years in prison and mandated to pay about $410,000 in reparations.
For misprision of a felony, 36-year-old Ijeoma Adeola was placed on three years of probation and ordered to make restitution of a little under $49,000.
In order to defraud Americans, many of whom were old or fragile, the defendants banded together with others in Nigeria.
After establishing relationships with the victims over the phone, text, social media, and the internet using false identities, the Nigerian partners asked for money.
The defendants opened several bank accounts and kept P.O. boxes under fictitious names and shell companies, and victims were told to wire money to them.
After then, the defendants divided the funds among themselves and their Nigerian associates.
Additionally, Okunola utilised some of the money to help people buy cars in the United States and have them shipped to Nigeria.
Between 2017 and 2022, the scheme amassed over $2 million.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten stated, “Financial fraud is not a ‘faceless’ crime — and today’s sentencings help secure a measure of justice for the victims of this international fraud scheme.”
He added that some victims “lost their retirement savings, took loans against their homes, or suffered other financial distress because of the defendants’ lies.”
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