By Johnson Idowu
A Chief United States District Judge, Richard Myers II, has sentenced a Nigerian, Saheed Owolabi, to 15 years’ imprisonment for defrauding Americans and laundering the sum of $1.5m.
The US Department of Justice disclosed this in a statement made available on its website on Tuesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered from the statement that Owolabi feigned a female identity to build online relationships with male Americans.
The statement noted that Owolabi used a fake identity to deceive his victims into sending money and personal information.
It continued, “Inmate Owolabi and others used bank accounts provided by the victims to launder money from other fraudulent operations and stole more than $120,000 from a victim in the EDNC, among many other victims.”
It added that upon his arrest and trial, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The statement continued, “In sentencing Inmate Owolabi to 15 years in prison, Chief Judge Myers determined that Inmate Owolabi was a leader or organiser within an extensive organisation, engaged in sophisticated money laundering, and caused substantial financial hardship to victims through his schemes.
“At sentencing, the prosecution highlighted images discovered on Inmate Owolabi’s phone at the time of his arrest, showing how he lavishly spent the stolen money.”
Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for fraud and money laundering offences.
“A federal judge sentenced a Nigerian man, Saheed Sunday Owolabi, to 15 years in federal prison for his role in defrauding victims in the United States and laundering over $1.5 million to Nigeria,” it added.
Reacting to the conviction, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Anthony Boyle, lamented the spate of Nigerians defrauding Americans.
“Who hasn’t suffered some form of the ‘Nigerian Prince’ schemes? Inmate Owolabi, no prince, stole from our vulnerable citizens.
“This case shows that if you try to defraud the citizens of the Eastern District of North Carolina, our office will bring you to justice no matter where you are. Cheaters never win,” the statement quoted Boyle.
Owolabi joins the list of Nigerians who are incarcerated in US prisons over criminal offences.
PUNCH Metro reported on Friday that the US plans to deport a Nigerian national, Ayobami Omoniyi, after he completes a 32-month prison sentence for his role in a $202,000 money laundering scheme.
The US DoJ had disclosed that Omoniyi and his co-conspirators in 2021 received and transferred funds obtained from victims of financial fraud, including a fishing company in Australia.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate operated an unlicensed money-transmitting business linked to business email compromise scams.
