11 Nigerians have been charged with money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft by the US Department of Justice.
The suspects were accused of laundering millions of dollars in proceeds from business email compromises and romance fraud schemes, according to an indictment document unsealed by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, and Special Agent-in-Charge of the United States Secret Service’s New York Field Office, Patrick J. Freaney.
The 11 Nigerians are Adedayo John, Oluwadamilola Akinpelu, Kazeem Raheem, Morakinyo Gbeyide, and Warris Adenuga a.k.a Blue, according to the indictment charge released in Manhattan Federal court on Wednesday.
Lateef Goloba, Samsondeen Goloba, Olawale Olaniyan, Olawoyin Peter Olanrewaju, and Emmanuel Oronsaye-Ajayi are among the others.
On Wednesday in the District of New Jersey and the Eastern District of New York, nine people were detained and brought before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York.
One suspect was apprehended and charged in federal court in the Southern District of Texas, while the other remains at large.
“As alleged, the defendants were part of a criminal enterprise that not only defrauded businesses by assuming the online identities of legitimate counterparties, but also preyed on vulnerable elderly people, deceiving victims into sending money in phony romance scams,” according to the indictment document. The defendants are now facing federal felony charges thanks to the Secret Service.
“In some instances, business email compromise fraud schemes were used to trick businesses into transferring funds to bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients of the funds as part of normal business operations.
“Unknown to the victims, the bank accounts were under the control of the Defendants or their co-conspirators.
“In other instances, romance scams were used, primarily through electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, social media, or online dating websites, to deceive victims.
“Many of the victims, many of whom were vulnerable older men and women – into believing they were in romantic relationships with fake identities, and then using false pretenses to cause the victims to transfer funds to bank accounts controlled by the Defendants or their co-conspirators.
“As a result of these frauds, law enforcement officers have identified more than 50 victims who have transferred more than $9 million to bank accounts under the control of the Defendants.”
If convicted, the offences entail a maximum punishment of 20 to 30 years in jail.
However, if convicted of one count of aggravated identity theft, Morakinyo Gbeyide risks a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in jail.
