THREE NIGERIANS ARRAIGNED IN US OVER ALLEGED ROMANCE, WIRE FRAUD SCHEME
Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second
By: Muftau Fatimo
Three Nigerians—William Elvis, Moses Hezekiah, and Destiny Oghentega—have been arraigned before a United States federal court in Rhode Island over their alleged roles in an online romance and wire fraud scheme.
According to a statement published on the Department of Justice website on Thursday, each of the suspects faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Court documents indicate that the alleged scheme began around early 2021 and involved a network of conspirators who targeted victims through online impersonation.
The statement added that the suspects and their associates allegedly posed as professionals working abroad, gradually building trust with their victims over time. It read, “Victims, including an elderly Rhode Island resident, were approached by individuals who falsely claimed to be professionals working overseas and developed relationships with them.
“The conspirators subsequently made repeated requests for money under false pretences, citing reasons such as financial difficulties, legal troubles, or medical emergencies.
“Victims were instructed to send funds via gift cards, Bitcoin transactions, and other channels, including transfers to accounts controlled by members of the scheme.”
The statement continues that investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that the identities used in the scheme were stolen and used without the knowledge of the real individuals.
It added that the FBI also traced the communications and financial transactions connected to the fraud to the defendants in Nigeria.
Prosecutors noted that the victims lost substantial amounts of money over the course of the scheme.
“Victims sent substantial sums of money over the course of the scheme. The investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that the identities used were misappropriated and used without the individuals’ knowledge, and that communications and financial activity were traced to the defendants in Nigeria,” it added.
The statement, however, emphasised that the charges remain allegations, noting that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Hotjist reported on April 8 that a United States-based Nigerian, Ifeanyi Ugwu, is facing up to years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business involving more than $5m in illegally obtained funds.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, Eric Grant, had stated that Ugwu, 49, of Bakersfield, admitted to running the illegal operation between December 2020 and August 2023.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0