Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, are facing a combined 40-year prison sentence for their roles in a romance scam that defrauded a victim of $560,000.

The pair were convicted in a U.S. federal court following a four-day trial and less than three hours of jury deliberation.

A statement by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda revealed that the scheme, which began in January 2016, involved a fictitious persona, “Glenn Brown,” created on the dating site eHarmony.com.

The duo, along with an accomplice, used this fake profile to manipulate a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into sending large sums of money under the pretense of aiding a construction project in Malaysia.

Between January 2016 and April 2017, the victim transferred $560,000 to accounts in the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia. Evidence presented in court highlighted specific transactions, including a $28,000 wire transfer to an account linked to Daramola.

Daramola then funneled the money to other parties, including a seafood importer in Denmark.

Daramola denied involvement, but FBI investigations revealed incriminating text and WhatsApp messages on his phone, showing he provided bank accounts for multiple fraud schemes.

Ogunlaja, on the other hand, used his Bank of America account to receive fraudulent funds, including $40,000 deposited by the victim in March 2016. Ogunlaja subsequently withdrew and transferred funds to Daramola’s account.

Despite their denials, the weight of evidence led to the duo’s conviction. Both defendants remain on conditional release awaiting sentencing, where each faces up to 20 years in prison without parole. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled.

The post $560,000 Romance Scam: Two US-Based Nigerians Face 40 Years in Prison first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post $560,000 Romance Scam: Two US-Based Nigerians Face 40 Years in Prison appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

According to a   Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the service requires him to clear the drainage at Bekind filling station near the Tipper Garage at Tanke area, up to the gate of the University of Ilorin commencing from September 2.

Justice Sikiru Oyinloye handed down the judgement on Monday, Dele Oyewale, who is the Head of Media and Publicity at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), disclosed in a statement.

The statement revealed that Ridwan was sentenced following his arraignment by the Ilorin EFCC zonal office on a count bordering on internet fraud and other fraud-related offences.

“That you, Akinsanya Ridwan (a.k.a Alex James) sometime in March 2020 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court attempted to commit an offence of cheating by impersonation by pretending and representing yourself to be a white man called Alex James to an unsuspected white woman, Stewart Sonia, on a dating site called ‘Hangout’, as it is contained in your Gmail account: alexjames789123@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria.” , the charge read.

When the charge was read to him in court, the defendant pleaded guilty to the count.

While reviewing the facts of the case, an Assistant Detective Superintendent with the EFCC, Mahmoud Hamman, told the court that the defendant was arrested on March 16 based on intelligence.

“A search was conducted in his house and one Galaxy phone and laptop were recovered. We analysed them and discovered an email box where several fraudulent messages were printed in his presence,” the EFCC officer told the judge.

Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Oyinloye convicted and sentenced the defendant based on exhibits tendered and the proof of evidence brought before the court.

He ordered the convict to get a notice of clearance from the Registrar of the University of Ilorin and the Kwara State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The judge warned that a failure to do so would attract Ridwan six months imprisonment.

He also ordered the convict to pay a fine of N50,000, in addition to the community service.

The post Romance Scam: Court sentences Unilorin undergraduate to 3 months community service first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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