A federal grand jury in the United States has found two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, guilty of internet fraud in a case involving a $560,000 romance scam.
The verdict, delivered in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, Albuquerque, on Monday, followed a four-day trial. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the two men conspired with others to defraud a woman by exploiting a fabricated romantic relationship to siphon funds.
The duo was reportedly part of a larger syndicate that included Nigerian celebrity auto dealer Adesuwa Ogiozee. However, Ogiozee has denied any involvement, claiming that the charges against her are baseless and rooted in bias against her Nigerian heritage.
“On September 27, 2016, the victim wired approximately $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account in the name of Daramola Cars, as instructed by the fraudulent “Glenn Brown” persona. Daramola subsequently wired $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a check for $14,000.
“Daramola denied any knowledge of the romance scheme. However, the FBI’s investigation uncovered extensive evidence, including text and WhatsApp correspondence on Daramola’s phone, revealing his role as a provider of bank accounts for various fraud schemes, including romance fraud schemes.
Ogunlaja’s involvement included using his Bank of America account to receive fraudulent funds. Specifically, on March 9 and March 15, 2016, “Glenn Brown” instructed the victim to deposit $20,000 cash into Ogunlaja’s account. Following these deposits, Ogunlaja made multiple cash withdrawals and transfers to Daramola’s account,” authorities said.
Both convicts were asked to remain on bail until their sentencing, which was not immediately scheduled. Prosecutors said the duo faced up to 20 years in prison, although it was not immediately clear how much time would be recommended in a pre-sentencing hearing.
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